


Bookshops, Mistletoe, and Tinsel-Wrapped Joy

by HolmesAndNotQuiteWatson



Category: Supernatural
Genre: A Chapter a Day, Advent Calendar, Charlie and Gilda own a bookshop, Christmas, Christmas Tree, Eggnog, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Harry Potter Marathons, It's all very cliched and adorable, M/M, Mistletoe, Sledding, Snowball Fights, Tinsel, mechanic!Dean, mistletoe kisses, teacher!Cas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-01
Updated: 2015-12-31
Packaged: 2018-05-04 07:58:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 27,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5326601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HolmesAndNotQuiteWatson/pseuds/HolmesAndNotQuiteWatson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the first of December, Dean and Cas meet in a bookshop.</p><p>What follows is twenty five days of the most cliched Advent ever- and don't they love it.</p><p>(Written by Holmes)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. December 1st

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NotQuiteWatson](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=NotQuiteWatson).



> I will published 500-1,500 words a day depending on time and stuff...
> 
> This is a Christmas present for my dear bud [Abi](my-aristos-achaion.tumblr.com)
> 
> Hey Abi-
> 
> Merry Christmas, my dear. I hope you enjoy this package of fluff, snow, and Destiel. By the time I give this to you, the story will be well underway, but if you have any wishes for it, do let me know- it's your fic!
> 
> Happy Holidays-  
> \- Shona

The first snowflakes blew in through Cas' window on the evening of the first of December. In fact, they drifted through the open curtains and settled in his hair. Some fluttered down and landed on the leather cover of his journal before they melted. Soon, the only evidence they were there at all was the damp spots on the pages and the increasing chill in the room. 

Outside, the lights started to go on down the street. Fairy lights and Christmas trees illuminated in blinking spurts and Cas gazed out, his breath melting the frost on the windows. 

From his perch on the window seat he saw the door to the cafe at the end of the street open, the sign lighting up in festive red and green for the season. 'The Chamber of Secrets' was part bookshop, part coffee shop, and made the best eggnog Cas had ever had. 

Grabbing his journal and wallet, Cas slipped a scarf round his neck and headed out. He nearly bumped into his neighbour Benny on the stairs and apologized hurriedly, but Benny only chuckled and waved him on with a grin. 

The wind bit at Cas' exposed nose as he stepped out into the street. He pulled his scarf up and quickened his step; headed as briskly as he could towards the end of the street. He would have to buy a new coat, he realized, noting how the sleeves didn’t quite make his wrists any more.

Charlie, the owner, greeted him at the door with a grin and a hangar for his coat. Her bright hair still had snowflakes in it. "Heya Cas," she beamed, "I found a collection of Lovecraft in one of the boxes this morning if you want to take a look?" 

The border between café and bookshop was forever changing as books came and went, a line of boxes getting unpacked and reshelved; with tables spilling out to amongst the shelves. The upstairs was a mess of ladders and boarding where, halfway up the impractically stacked bookcases, people could pause to sit.

At Cas’ nod, Charlie passed him the Lovecraft volume from the nearest box. “Fancy some eggnog?” she asked knowingly as the bell dinged again, a couple squeezing in side by side, both with wide grins on their faces.

This time Cas shook his head, leaving Charlie to welcome the newcomers. Instead, he passed the café by and headed off to the nearest bookshelf ladder, starting the climb up to the mini loft above. Lovecraft tucked under his arm, he slid into the small space, barely taller than this shoulders, and settled back on the nearest purple beanbag. The window in the slanted roof above him was frosted and had gathered a small volume of snow at the sill, but he could just see the dark skies through it.

Comfortably settled, he flicked the switch under the lampshade, and reached for the supply of fizzy bee sweets Charlie let him keep there. Careful of the ageing pages, he flicked past the Lovecraft stories he’d already read until he reached ‘The Street”. Page twenty of this volume, he noted absentmindedly, and settled back to read it.  
\--

About two hours later, Cas finally closed the book with a satisfied sigh. He picked himself up, put his sweets back in the tiny chest of drawers, flicked the light off, and got ready to descend the ladder.

He’d no sooner put his foot on the top rung than he heard a protest. “Someone coming up,” a distinctly male voice said, “watch out.” 

Cas frowned, but retracted his foot nonetheless. Taking care not to knock the ladder, he pushed himself back in the space to make more room. The lighting scattered along the shop’s slanted ceilings cast strange shadows, making it hard to tell what time of day it was. When that someone finally pulled themselves up into the nook, Cas could just barely make out brown hair and green eyes, as well as a copy of some Vonnegut book or other.

“Hello,” the newcomer smiled. He hoisted himself over the last rung with a grunt, “Sorry for disturbing.”

“No problem,” Cas squinted, trying to make out any facial features.

“Dean. Dean Winchester,” Dean whispered, and then flicked the light back on. 

Cas found himself staring a little- and it was not cliché, not at all, because Dean Winchester was amazing. Even in the dark, Cas had got the green eyes and brown eyes right, but not the way the hair stuck up and the eyes glinted mischievously. But then again, he had missed the easy grin and plaid in the dark too.

“Castiel- Cas- Novak,” he managed eventually, “nice to meet you.” Rationally, Cas knew he should leave, but Dean was in the way and Cas really didn’t mind.

Dean followed his line of sight and immediately shifted. “Sorry man,” he apologized, hands held aloft, “I’ll get out your way.”

“No, it’s okay.” A glance at his watch told Cas he still had a little while before Charlie would close up. “I think I’ll stay a little longer,” he said, sinking back into the beanbag. Dean smiled and plopped himself down on the one opposite, wincing a little when he bashed his head on the low ceiling. 

“Thanks dude.” Dean didn’t open his book, “This place is _awesome_.”

The look of awe on Dean’s face was endearing, and Cas put his book down in favour of shifting the beanbag a little so he could see Dean. The snow had completely covered the window now, he noticed. “It is certainly impressive.”

Dean snorted at that. “Charlie told me she had made the place amazing but I didn’t realize...”

“You’ve never been before?” Cas frowned, “How do you know Charlie?”

Sheepishly, Dean rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. Cas waited, hearing the rustle of the beanbags and the soft rumble of the coffee machine downstairs in the silence. “We LARP together,” Dean admitted, and the lamplight showed up a light blush dusting his freckled cheeks.

“LARP?” Cas questioned.

“Role-play- fantasy stuff,” Dean grinned shyly, not meeting Cas’ eyes, “ya know, nerdy stuff.”

“How does that work?” Cas had seen Charlie bustling around the kitchen in a tunic with a weapons belt; serving customers with a quiver of arrows on her back- he just wasn’t sure what she did with it.

“You don’t want to hear about that,” Dean waved him off. He fidgeted with the pages of his book, flicking a finger along the pages. 

“I would like to know what you and Charlie do when you... LARP,” Cas insisted, putting down his book, “I would appreciate some explanation.” Dean looked up, and Cas smiled tentatively. 

His smile seemed to persuade Dean of something, because he beamed abruptly. “I’m a Knight.” Dean blurted, “Originally I was Charlie’s handmaiden- she’s the Queen- but then there was a great battle and I got promoted-“

Dean rambled on, pausing occasionally as if to check if he was boring Cas, who would prompt him with another question to make his grin flare up again.  
\--

“Cas? Dean?” Charlie’s voice interrupted their conversation, making Dean freeze in the midst of animatedly describing his last battle, “I’m closing down!”

Still caught up in the excitement of Dean’s story, Cas barely registered the words. It was Dean who had the presence of mind to lean out of their alcove and shout down towards where Charlie was wandering through the shelves searching for them. “Charlie,” he called, and her head snapped up, “Me an’ Cas are up here.”

Charlie craned back her head, scanning the attic spaces until she spotted Dean’s head peering over. She grinned. “Get down here you two,” she yelled, though not without affection, “Can’t leave you here overnight- as much as Cas would love that.“

“We’re coming, Charlie.” Cas picked his book up and, for the second time that evening, lowered a foot over the side and onto the wooden ladder. 

“Wait-“ Dean caught his wrist before Cas could begin his descent. Cas looked down at where Dean’s hand, warm from the surprisingly toasty attic, was wrapped around his wrist; Dean snatched his hand away when he realized what he’d done. 

“What, Dean?” Cas asked, trying not to let his voice waver, wary in uncertainty of what Dean could want to ask of him.

“Want to meet again tomorrow?”

Cas shifted on the ladder. He wasn’t busy beyond the few essays he had to grade before the break, and he found he liked Dean- liked his easy friendship and his enthusiasm. “Why not?” 

Dean beamed. “How about we meet at five? That okay?”

“Sure, Dean,” Cas smiled back softly, “See you tomorrow.”


	2. December 2nd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deck the halls with lots of tinsel and feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Abi,
> 
> Frohe Weihnachten on day two- 
> 
> Also have an awful pickup line- ¿Estás perdido? El cielo es lejos de aquí *winks*
> 
> -Shona

December second started and ended with icy roads and frozen toes. By the time Cas made his way to the bookshop, reluctantly carrying a few essays, the streets had become an ice rink. The path too was getting darker, forcing him to walk slowly, the wind working its way into his coat and past his bee-decorated scarf.

This time when he entered, Charlie only waved to him from the café. She was busy chatting with Jody and Donna, the local sheriffs. Cas hung his coat up himself and headed uncertainly through the café. He and Dean hadn’t specified where in the bookshop they’d meet, but at least from one of the booths Cas would be able to see Dean as he came in, if he wasn’t already there.

Cosy booths lined the café area, backed by bookshelves and boxes that they were welcome to peruse while they waited for their coffee. As long as they didn’t dunk the book instead of the sweet biscuits Charlie’s girlfriend Gilda made, Charlie didn’t mind much.

Cas ordered a tea from Charlie when she came over, and Charlie herself slipped into the side of the booth opposite from Cas, tea preparedly ordered. “So,” she whispered excitedly, “you’re meeting Dean again.”

It wasn’t even slightly disguised as a question, so Cas only affirmed it. “Yes- we enjoyed each other’s company yesterday.”

“I’ll bet you did,” Charlie grinned conspiratorially, “And I’ll bet he’s your type too.”

Cas blushed. He wasn’t out to many people, but Charlie was one of the few to know he was gay. “Charlie,” he began, ready to warn her off, but was interrupted by Dean himself appearing at the booth’s edge.

“Heya Cas,” Dean grinned, then turned to Charlie, “Hey nerd.”

Charlie beamed right back and stepped out of the booth, “I’ll leave you two to it,” she snorted. With a wink, she walked away, bumping shoulders with Dean as she passed him, “See you this weekend, dork.”

Dean bumped right back into Charlie before all but throwing himself into the booth opposite Cas. He eyed Cas’ tea and smirked, “I had you down as a tea drinker, you know.”

“Oh?” Cas raised an eyebrow; “I’d usually go for the eggnog at this time of year.”

“Charlie really does make the best eggnog- she still refuses to give me the recipe though- I bet my baby brother would kill for the stuff given he has two kids and a wife to please at Christmas!” 

Cas laughed into his tea and was rewarded with a fresh grin from Dean. And for a moment they sat in silence. It wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but there was an edge of uncertainty to it nonetheless- neither of them quite sure if they could pick up from where they had been the day before. The lamp-lit attic alcove seemed another world entirely in the café’s bright lighting. 

“How come Charlie hasn’t put the tinsel up yet?” Dean asked, breaking the silence, “Usually it’s up before Halloween is even over.”

“That’s true.” Indeed, there wasn’t a wreath, string of lights, or even sprig of mistletoe decorating the bookshelves or café lighting. Of course, with the ever-present scent of eggnog and Charlie’s Santa hat, there was already a wintery atmosphere in the shop. Still, something seemed to be missing. “Why don’t we do it?”

“What?” Dean blinked.

“Charlie is clearly too busy,” Cas pressed on, setting down his empty teacup, “And we’ve got time to spare, haven’t we? Why don’t we hang up the tinsel?”

Dean nodded, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Without further discussion, he got up and, having pulled Cas to his feet, dragged him over to where Charlie stood leaning against the counter. 

“Charlie!” he called, all but skidding to a stop next to her. He didn’t seem to notice that he was still clutching Cas’ hand, “How about me and Cas hang up some tinsel and stuff for you?”

Catching Cas’ eye, Charlie smirked. She pushed herself upright and pointed to the pile of boxes behind the booth they’d been sitting at. “It’s in the second and third boxes from the bottom,” she told them, “and make sure you don’t skimp out on the kid’s corner- they love the stuff.”

Cas barely had time to thank Charlie before Dean was yanking him back over and handing him the top two boxes so he could get to the ones underneath. “What shall we do first, Cas?” Dean asked, “Tinsel? Fairy lights?”

“Tinsel sounds like a good idea.” Cas set down his boxes on the nearest stack, turning back to accept a box from Dean. He unfolded the flaps to reveal a coiled mess of greens, reds, golds, blues, and silvers. All the pieces were tangled and mixed to the point where he wasn’t sure if there was an ending to start unraveling it at.

Dean snorted at the sight of the mess in Cas’ box. “Perhaps we should separate them first?” he suggested, and Cas nodded eagerly. They shoved the box to the end of their booth table and slid back into their seats to begin the long untangling process.  
\- 

“I wish Charlie were more organized,” Cas groaned when yet another piece tagged onto the one he was working on. Holding the piece up to eye-level, he realized it was definitely knotted beyond a salvageable level- at least without getting scissors involved.

Across the table, Dean was stubbornly working on a gold piece of tinsel that had tied itself to a silver one. In a stroke of inspiration, Cas leaned over and wound his piece around Dean’s neck. It suited him.

“What the-“ Dean inspected the tinsel round his neck in befuddlement, “this stuff really itches.”

“Surely you did not mean that we were only to make the shelves seasonally appropriate,” Cas deadpanned, “I assumed you had included yourself in the list of things to be decorated.”

Dean stuck a hand into the box and pulled out a bright pink piece of tinsel. He too leaned forward and wrapped it around Cas’ neck, where it proved just as itchy as Dean had described. “Now we’re equal- how about we decorate the place?”

Picking up his box, Cas got out of the booth and stood, waiting, for Dean to follow him. As Dean struggled out with his lot, Cas draped a blue strand carefully around the light fixture nearest to him, “Why don’t we theme the café in blue and silver?”

“Sure.”   
-

They started at the back of the café, leaning over the occasional customer to hang tinsel from bookshelves and to drape it over boxes. By the time they ran out of blue and silver, even Charlie had received some decoration in form of a tinsel flower to wear as a medal.

Cas dumped his now empty box back on the stack. Dean still held the second box, crammed with red, gold, and green, and they headed through into the bookshop. “I can do the higher-up parts,” Cas offered, and Dean grinned gratefully.

“How do you want to carry the stuff?” Dean questioned, already tugging out some pieces for Cas, “You could wear it round your neck?”

“If you think that will work-“

The five strands of tinsel were around Cas’ neck before he could finish, wrapped like a scarf. “You look-“ Dean struggled to contain laughter, “You look-“

“Idiotic?” Cas finished dryly, and Dean nodded with a chuckle. “Fair enough.”

And, with a shrug, Cas set to climbing the nearest ladder, while Dean wandered towards the kid’s section beneath him.  
-

It was easy work to hang his tinsel along the alcoves and down the sides of bookshelves; Cas was able to head down to meet Dean quickly, hopeful that there might still be some left with which to tie Dean to one of Charlie’s more unusual bookcases. 

Dean was, when Cas approached him, slinging some tinsel round and round a rotating bookshelf. The box with the rest of the tinsel lay at his feet, still moderately full. 

“Having fun?”

Surprised, Dean spun round. “Hey Cas,” he smiled. Dean tapped the box with his foot, “Grab a bit, will you?”

Between the two of them they wound the last of the tinsel around the shelf. Cas’ strand got caught around Dean’s on his second loop, forcing them to stop to untangle it. 

“Hey Cas?” Dean asked, eyes firmly on the knot he was undoing, “Are you busy tomorrow?”

Stubbornly, Cas fought back a smile, “I don’t think so,” he said, wondering how many essays he could finish during his day off to be able to afford the time to meet with Dean, “Why?”

For a moment, Dean stayed silent. Cas watched him reach down for another piece of tinsel and move towards the children’s corner. Dean wound it round a hanging bumblebee like a scarf, and then stood winding the end round his hand. “Charlie probably has more stuff for us to hang up,” Dean said, tone casual, “Maybe we should come back again and finish it.”

“Yeah?” Cas considered the blush lightly dusting Dean’s cheeks and decided that, yes, he wanted to pursue this, “I’d like that.”

Dean looked up, hopeful grin resting uncertainly on his lips, “You would?”

“I would.”

“Great!” Instantly Dean was animated again, pulling out more tinsel and enthusiastically throwing it over the nearest standalone shelf. “So how do you know Charlie, Cas?”

Smiling fondly, Cas leaned back against the nearest bookcase. “A friend recommended I visit this place,” he told Dean, “And I came in and found a book I really wanted.”

“Yeah?” Dean hung the last piece of tinsel in place and pulled out one of the children’s beanbags. He sat down and dragged out a second, gesturing for Cas to join him. 

Cas did so gratefully, and continued, “Well Charlie hadn’t installed the ladders properly then, and I tried to climb the shelves to get my book.” The beginnings of a smirk crept onto Dean’s face, and Cas stubbornly ignored him. “Charlie spotted me and tried to stop me-“ Feeling his face heat in embarrassment, Cas paused.

“Go on,” Dean insisted, whacking Cas’ beanbag. The beanbag caved and Cas nearly fell. He returned the punch in playful irritation.

“Charlie’s shout- it distracted me and I turned round on the shelf and... brought the whole shelf tumbling down on us,” Cas mumbled.

Dean snickered, “That’s hilarious- did you ever get the book?”

“Course he did,” Charlie interrupted. Cas looked up, mouth falling open, to see her standing by their empty box of tinsel, “And he insisted on cleaning up and having me over for coffee afterwards to apologize.”

“How long have you been standing there?” Dean gaped, scrambling to his feet.

Picking up the empty box, Charlie shrugged. “Most of the time,” she said, “And you’re right- I would appreciate help with the tree or the Christmas lights, if you two fancy helping.”

Before either of them could response, Charlie wandered off down the row. Sheepishly, Dean held out a hand and pulled Cas to his feet. Together they started to walk back to the storefront, winding through bookcases and piles of boxes until they saw the door. 

“See you tomorrow?” Dean stopped in front of the door and turned to Cas. 

“Tomorrow,” Cas confirmed, and pushed through the door. The bell jingled behind him and he stepped out into the cold, yanking on his scarf again.


	3. December 3rd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tree decorating with Cas, Dean, Charlie, and Gilda- what could be cheesier or more likely to include fairylights?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Morning Abi,
> 
> Remember those decorations you made in circular Gallifreyan? They were amazing, but I can't do that so here's tree decorating and fluff.
> 
> Yer amaze :)
> 
> \- Shona  
> P.S. Seeing as you're usually my beta, and this is a surprise, it will come as no surprise to you that it is unbeta'd (see what I did there)

December third was an unexpected snow day. Cas wrapped himself up in blankets and sat on the couch with hot chocolate. His phone rested on the armrest, awaiting a text that couldn’t come because he hadn’t thought to give Dean his mobile number.

Over the day, he put quite the dent in his pile of graded papers and lesson plans to be completed. His cat Hanael settled herself on his lap and her warm weight sent him to sleep until the bell tolling woke him at five.

Scrambling off the couch, Cas threw himself towards the door, blindly grabbing whatever winter wear he could find as he slid out the door and locked it. Hanael’s angry mews battered the door from the other side as Cas yanked on the coat, scarf, hat, and single glove he’d managed to pick up. 

Andrea held the door open for him as he all but ran into the street. On the snowy roads, barely ploughed, Cas fell over. The snow, soft and fluffy, reached his knees as he stood; it stuck to and soaked through his trousers as he made his way, considerably more carefully, down the street to meet Dean at Charlie’s.

Dean met him at the door. At the sight of Cas, hair iced with snowflakes and trousers soaked with melting ice, he burst out laughing and ushered Cas inside. “What did you do?” he asked between bursts of laughter.

“I slipped,” Cas admitted, “rushing to get here on time.”

“Cas!” Charlie rounded the corner from the café and immediately threw her arms round Cas, “Glad you’re showing up more regularly now.”

As Charlie drew back, a new weight settled on Cas’ shoulders, and he looked sideways to find that Dean had thrown an arm round him. “Well,” Dean said, “Cas has his reasons.”

“Sure he does,” Charlie said under her breath, moving to go back to the café.

“Charlie?” Dean called after her, and she turned back, eyebrow raised in a clear question, “What do you want us to do?”

The set of her shoulders relaxed immediately, slipping back into loose-limbed happiness and easy-going smile. “You could decorate the tree with Gilda and me,” she offered, pointing to a point behind Cas. 

Cas spun round and gasped- a massive tree, nearly as tall as the alcove he and Dean had hidden in, was towering over the bookshop’s empty corner. Where usually Charlie made a kind of reading corner, the chairs had been shifted back to make way for the undecorated tree. At the foot of it were two piles of boxes-

“Decorations are in those,” Charlie nodded, “and we’ll be over to join you as soon as I’ve finished serving the five o’clock rush.”  
\--

The boxes were unpacked soon enough, with their contents spread out over the backs of armchairs and along spare bookcases, of which there were few. “Perhaps we should exchange mobile numbers,” Cas rumbled as they stood back to contemplate the tree.

“We should,” Dean agreed, “Especially if this snow gets any worse.”

Gilda and Charlie were still busy serving, so Cas pulled out his, admittedly ancient, Nokia. With fingers deft from practice, he opened up a new contact and waited for Dean to do the same.

“What’s your mobile number?” Cas asked, fidgeting with the bottom of his jumper, “I’m ready when you are.”

Dean glanced up. “It’s-“ He broke off, staring at Cas’ phone, “Dude, your phone is a flip phone? Do they even still make those fossils?”

Cas threw a stuffed reindeer toy at him.

“Fine, fine,” Dean held his hands up in surrender, “Not sure it’s a reliable method of communication, but fine.” At Cas’ glower, he hurriedly read out his phone number and patiently waited for Cas to do the same.

Dean had just returned his phone to his jeans pocket when Charlie and Gilda sauntered over, having closed the café for the evening. “Hello,” Gilda greeted them gently, “Pleased to have you two helping us.”

“If Dean will just grab the ladder from the storeroom,” Charlie said, “we can get started.”

“What do you have in mind in terms of colours?” Cas asked, “Dean and I decorated the bookshop chiefly in reds and greens, but...”

“We can just put stuff on, it’ll be fine.” Charlie reassured him. She grabbed a bauble from the back of the nearest armchair and tossed it to Cas, “There you go- that’ll start you off.”

The folded green wire fitted easily onto the branch by Cas’ arm. He hung it carefully and turned back to get the box of golden baubles he’d unpacked earlier, only to whack straight into Dean, who had returned after retrieving the ladder.  
Dean steadied him. “Careful,” he joked, and passed Cas the very box of baubles he’d been about to pick up.

Heart abruptly sounding in his ears, Cas accepted the box with muttered thanks. Undoing the ribbon keeping the lid on, Cas pulled out one of the golden baubles and handed it to Dean, who accepted it. Finally, he dropped his hand from Cas’ shoulder, brushing down his arm and leaving goosebumps behind.

Round the other side of the tree, Charlie braced the ladder for Gilda, who teetered at the top, laughing as she hung up some of Charlie’s collection of Star Wars decorations. As she climbed down, she and Charlie held hands; Gilda jumping into Charlie’s arm from the last steps.

Smiling, Cas dug around in the boxes of decorations until he found a packet of nutcrackers, each wooden face decorated just differently enough to give them personality. Hefting the surprisingly heavy box, Cas turned back to the tree. 

His gaze caught Dean mid laugh, leaning into Charlie as his shoulders shook. Charlie watched him fondly, fingers interlinked with Gilda’s. But Cas couldn’t look away from Dean and how the emotion in his laugh was unquestionably real.

He was screwed.  
\--

“I think we’re done,” Charlie announced. The day had slipped away while they had decorated, making the soft lights of the bookshop the only thing to illuminate the massive tree. 

Cas stepped back to admire it. It was magically beautiful, with their mix and matched assortment of ornaments somehow working together, brought together by the circling lengths of tinsel and fairy lights. 

Gilda walked over to Cas, a last box in her arms. “We have a lot of fairy lights left over,” she told him, “Perhaps you’d like to hang them up in your apartment?”

Thanking her warmly, Cas accepted the box. “I would love to decorate nearly as nicely as you have.”

“I think we’ll close now,” Charlie said, holding her hand out for Gilda. The two of them linked arms, having wished Cas and Dean a good night, walked off towards the back door that led to their own flat.

Cas considered the fairy lights. There was no way he’d be able to hang them up himself and, although Anna would be coming to visit him tomorrow, no guarantee they’d manage. “Would you- would you help me hang these up tomorrow, maybe?” he asked Dean, crossing his fingers in hope of a positive answer.

 

Dean’s face lit up again, just like before, and Cas smiled back. “I’d love to, Cas,” Dean grinned, “Where do you live then?”

Dean held the door open for Cas and they stepped out into the street. It was frigidly cold, and the box did little to shield him from the wind. “Up there,” Cas said, nodding down the street, “I’m above the tailoring shop.”

“Okay- when shall I come over?”

“Lunch-time?” Cas suggested, “Although I warn you my sister will be there.”

“The more the merrier.”

“See you there then,” Cas adjusted the box in his arms so he could wave. Dean waved back and started to head down the street.


	4. December 4th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paper chains, mistletoe, fairylights and massive embarrassing crushes on people- how could it possibly play together?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Abi,
> 
> I'll do my best to meet your standards on romantic moments- they're impossibly high but I can defo do it for your fic... right? Well, let me know, on a scale of 1 to 10, how emotional it makes you-
> 
> \- Shona

The snow fell through the night, building up in drifts that even the ploughs struggled to get through. The radio announced December Fourth to be another snow day, and Cas grinned and rolled over.

The doorbell woke Cas later in the morning. He stumbled to the door, blearily grabbing the keys from the unit on the way. Fumbling with the keys, he eventually opened the door. Anna stood outside, bright red hair poking out of her fluff-lined jacket.

“Morning Castiel,” she said briskly, “It’s good to see you.”

“You too, Anna,” he said, waving her into his apartment. It was clean, but in the kind of way that meant Cas had mostly just gathered the mess and stuffed it in drawers or his room. 

Holding up a shopping bag, Anna smiled. “I brought some of the ingredients to make mince pies, if you’ve not started on lunch yet.”

Cas glanced at the clock, gulping when it realized it was nearly eleven. Dean had texted him last night to say he’d be there around twelve, and Cas didn’t even have lunch started, let alone ready, “That sounds excellent, Anna.”  
\--

The doorbell went again an hour later, just as Cas was pulling the first batch of mince pies out of the oven and Anna was giving their homemade eggnog a last stir. Cas rushed to the door and opened it with considerably more coordination than before.

Dean stood awkwardly in the doorway, a carrier bag held carefully in one hand and his coat dangling loosely from the other. “Hi Cas,” he grins, “Hope I’m not early.” 

Cas shook his head nudged a couple of old boxes out of the way. He swung the door open fully, stepping out of the way so Dean could walk into the apartment. 

“This smells great.”

As Dean entered the sitting room, Anna walked through with three mugs of eggnog on her tray. “I brought cookies,” Dean told Cas, dropping his coat over the arm of one sofa. 

“Hi,” Anna interrupted, “You must be Dean.”

Spinning around, Dean saw Anna and nearly dropped his cookies. Rather stupidly, Cas realized, he hadn’t thought to tell Dean his sister’s name. Hastily he intervened, “Dean, this is Anna, my sister.”

Easy grin back, Dean reached out and shook Anna’s hand. He set his cookies down on the table. “Pleasure.”

The three of them sat down, Anna on a vaguely beanbag-like thing Cas had salvaged from a thrift store, and Cas and Dean squished together on the couch. Too jammed in the limited space to move much, Cas gestured to the box of fairy lights with his foot. “I thought we could put up the fairy lights before we eat,” he suggested nervously, hoping Dean hadn’t had enough of decorating at the library, “and afterwards string up some mistletoe or make some paper chains.”

“I’ll take paper chain duty,” Anna said, “And raise a mug to it.”

Dean mirrored her, clinking his mug against Anna. “Me and Cas can take fairy lights and mistletoe,” he winked, “can’t we Cas?”

“I’m sure we can.”

Cas set down his mug and got up. Hoisting the box up onto the couch, he unfolded the flaps to reveal a tangled mess of wires and lights with no visible endings. He grabbed a bit of cable and pulled.

“Dean?” he said after a minute, “this wire doesn’t seem to be ending.”

With a chuckle, Dean got to his feet and set to helping Cas. Swiftly, he yanked out a full chain of lights and held it up as if to frame Cas’ couch. “What do you think, Cas? Lights all around the bookcases?”

“Sure,” Cas nabbed the other end of the chain and plugged it in to the nearest socket, just at the base of the couch, “I’ll handle the mistletoe.”

Cas’ apartment was reasonably large, at least for what a teaching profession could afford. He had a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, lounge, and even a small laundry room. The bookcases admittedly took up most of the space, encroaching into the kitchen and bedroom, but it was just as he liked it.

Dean dragged over a kitchen chair and set it down in front of the first shelf. Climbing up on it, he held out a hand for the wire, and Cas passed it to him.   
\--

Hanael emerged from Cas’ room just as the three of them took their seats at the table. She climbed up onto the table and, stepping carelessly over the jar of honey, climbed onto Cas’ shoulders. 

“I didn’t know you had a cat, Cas,” Dean said through a mouthful of his burger.

“That’s Hanael,” Anna eyed the cat with distaste, “And she doesn’t like me for some reason.”

“Can’t imagine why.” 

Between the three of them, they had put up all the fairy lights. All of Cas’ bookshelves were lit from above and, for the edge ones, from the sides. A couple of the shorter lengths decorated the doorframes and the kitchen cabinets, and the whole flat had a cosy glow to it. 

Cas had made burgers while Dean and Anna talked about Dean’s work as a mechanic and Anna’s as an artist. Anna had cuts endless strips of coloured paper and stacked it on the coffee table and, when they all gathered for dinner, she gentled fixed a sprig of mistletoe to the low-hanging lamp above the table.

Nervously, Cas eyed it and wondered if he might end up encountering Dean under a sprig of it later. He could tug Dean to stand under it and stumble into that cheesy Christmas jumper, wind their fingers together and link them like paper chains.

“Cas?”

Dean’s voice jolted him out of his imagination. “Yes?” 

Across the table, Anna smirked at him, as if she knew exactly what he had been thinking. Beside him, Dean had reached over to tap him gently on the arm. “You okay?”

Cas nodded. “I’m fine,” he promised. Anna and Dean had finished eating, and a glance at his plate revealed Cas only had the one bite left of his burger. He scoffed it down and pushed back his chair. “Paper chains anyone?”  
\--

Paper chains were time-consuming. By the time they’d used up all the endless strips of paper that Anna had cut, it had got dark outside. Setting aside her last chain, Anna got to her feet. “I’d best be leaving if I want to get back for dinner,” she apologized, “See you at Christmas, baby brother.”

Cas followed her to the door, leaving Dean in the lounge. “You sure you don’t want to stay the night?” he asked, but Anna just shook her head.

“You and Dean want some alone time,” she whispered, “lets not have me getting in the way.” She wound her scarf round her neck, kissed Cas on the cheek, and walked out the door before Cas could even say goodbye.

He walked back into the lounge to find Dean gathering up the paper chains and the sellotape. “Shall we put these up?”

“How about we do the mistletoe and take the paper chains in for Charlie tomorrow?” Cas suggested. The mistletoe lay on the kitchen counter, and he walked through to pick it up. Dean followed, eyebrow raised. 

“And where would you like this stuff?” Dean picked up a piece and dangled it above their heads, grinning. “Will this do?”

Not trusting himself to speak, Cas nodded mutely. Dean’s eyes widened, as if he hadn’t been expecting Cas to respond like that. Embarrassed, Cas stepped back. “Sorry,” he mumbled, not meeting Dean’s gaze, “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable-“

Dean moved back, a smile on his face. From the counter, he grabbed the tape and broke off a bit. Slowly, he reached down and took Cas’ hand. Tape and the mistletoe in hand, Dean headed over to the door that led to the lounge, pulling Cas along with him.

Standing on his tip-toes, Dean stretched up and fixed the mistletoe to the door frame. “You sure?” He asked Cas, taking his other free hand. 

Again, Cas nodded. 

Dean lifted his hands and set them on Cas’ shoulders. Gently, he slid them up until they rested on either side of Cas’ neck, thumbs just brushing the underside of his jaw. Cas’ breath hitched, which seemed to be all the encouragement Dean needed.

At the first brush of Dean’s lips, Cas’ hands flew up and anchored themselves in the soft wool of Dean’s jumper, pulling them closer together. They bumped noses and misjudged mouths, but they established a balance. A united in-and-out of breathing and a pattern of movement, one of Dean’s hands on his waist while one of Cas’ hands slipped from the front of Dean’s jumper to twist in his hair.

And when Dean tugged softly on Cas’ hair and pressed a kiss to the underside of his jaw, Cas gasped out a shuddering breath. “Is this okay?” Dean tried to ask, stilling, starting to pull away. Cas yanked him right back, setting them into a snug embrace. Breathless, Cas chuckled.

“What?” Dean’s words were muffled by the way his face was buried in the crook of Cas’ neck. 

“Mistletoe,” Cas said simply, and Dean huffed back a laugh.


	5. December 5th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Telling stories and planning battles- Snow makes children of us all

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a bit of a filler, Abi, cause the next chapter is planned to be massively action-packed and full of familiar faces, which are then also full of snow. 
> 
> \- Shona

On December fifth, the streets were clear again. Icicles adorned the windows and the kids flew down the hills on sledges and built snowmen. Cas left the school warily after the teacher training, watching out for errant snowballs. 

He and Dean hadn’t set a precise time to meet again, but Cas made his way to Charlie’s anyway. If Dean wasn’t there yet, he reasoned, he could always start writing the next essay prompt for his year elevens. 

The booths were full this time, so Cas bought a muffin and a mug of eggnog at the counter, smiling at Krissy who took the lunchtime shift on weekends. There was no sign of Dean, so he walked through to the bookshop. Not far from the Christmas tree, a few armchairs and a sofa were tucked into the corner, with tables in between them. Cas set down his purchases at one of them and wandered off to find a book.

The Lovecraft was where he’d left it, filed carefully under L with a post-it note marking his spot. Picking it up, headed back to drink and muffin, already reading at he walked. He was about to sit down when he noticed someone had already taken his spot: Dean. “Hey Cas,” Dean greeted him, gesturing to the space on the couch next to him.

Lowering the book, Cas smiled. “Hello Dean,” he said, and dropped down to sit beside him. Dean slipped an arm around Cas’ shoulders, and Cas let him, snuggling a little closer. 

Once Cas was settled with his book and muffin, still tucked into Dean’s embrace, Dean leant over to whisper in Cas’ ear. “Would you like to come over and watch a movie tomorrow?” 

Cas broke off a bit of muffin and passed it to Dean. “Sure,” he replied, hiding his smile by taking another sip of his eggnog, “What time?”

“Four? Depends on whether you want to experience my crappy cooking or not.”

“Sure.”

Just as Cas reached to put his eggnog back on the table, Charlie walked over, grinning. “I knew it,” she crowed, “you two are just adorable.”

“Keep it down, Charlie,” Dean teased, “this is a bookstore, isn’t it?”

She waved him off, dropping down into the armchair next to their sofa. “Was it at Cas’?” she asked, leaning forward so her lowered voice carried better, “It was, wasn’t it?”

Cas gave up and nodded. Charlie squealed. “I ship it,” she announced, “and I’m calling it Destiel.” 

With that, Charlie all but jumped to her feet and headed off towards the café. “You owe me twenty bucks, Gilda,” Cas heard her say as she headed behind the counter, “I knew they wouldn’t make it until next weekend.”

“We have our own cheering section,” Cas muttered, half to himself.

Dean laughed at that. “Wait until you meet my brother- he’s been hounding for me to start dating ever since he met his fiancé-“

“Anna is much the same.” In fact, many a Christmas dinner had devolved into Anna quizzing whichever of the five Novak brothers were single on their dating plans. Most of them put up with it, except for Gabriel, who would pretend to comply and then heavily prank her later, and Luke, who still hadn’t told anyone he was aromantic. 

He went to take a bite of his muffin and, to his disappointment, discovered Dean had eaten the last bite. In fake irritation, he elbowed him. “Hungry lummox,” Cas whined, “I’m all out of muffin.”

Before Dean could reply, Charlie was back; this time with Gilda at her side. “How would you two like to join us in the park tomorrow?” Gilda asked, “We’re going to build snowmen and have a snowball fight and everything.”

“It’ll be awesome!” Charlie brushed her hair out of her face and Cas recognized the signs of a full on Charlie-enthusiasm. “I’ve invited Sam and Jess for you, Dean, and Gabriel is coming with Ash and Jo.” 

“That sounds like fun,” Dean interrupted, “but Cas an’ me are having a movie night.”

Charlie’s face fell. “Oh,” she said, and it was impossible not to hear the disappointment in her voice, “that’s okay.”

“Well,” Cas looked up to Dean, wondering if he’d be okay with changing their movie night to Monday, “what if we changed our movie night?”

Dean considered it, fingers tapping a rhythm on Cas’ shoulder. Then he pulled out his phone and unlocked it, unconsciously drumming the same pattern to open it as the one he was on Cas. “I could text Sammy and change it.” 

Cas watched him type out a message and send it, the quite bloop of the text sending breaking the silence a moment later. Quietly, he moved his arm down to settle round Dean’s waist, settling himself that little bit closer. At the same time, Dean’s free hand slid up and started to stroke through Cas’ hair.

Sam’s reply of “okay” appeared a moment later and Dean showed it to Charlie. Pleased, she clapped her hands together. “Okie dokie,” she grinned, “Gilda and I will leave you two lovebirds alone then.”

“Thanks,” Cas said, “You didn’t have to shift our movie night-“

“Course I did- snow days with Charlie are fucking legendary!”

Cas sat up a little, “What do you mean?” 

“Have you never experienced a snow day with Charlie?” Incredulous, Dean’s hand freezing in Cas’ hair, “It’s absolutely wild.”

Cas settled back. “Tell me about it,” he suggested with a soft smile.

“Right,” Dean said, hand starting to play with Cas’ hair again, “Last year we built absolutely massive forts and Ash managed to create an entire system of tunnels beneath one of the mounds so he could smuggle ammo, ‘cept Sammy didn’t realized and tried to build a snowman on top with Alfie.”

“What happened?” Cas questioned, wide-eyed.

“They both fell through and landed on top of Ash, of course.” Dean snorted at the memory, “Although it’s probably good that they did ‘cause Ash was giving ammo to the other side.”

Half sleepy, Cas let himself be held by Dean and listened to him speak.


	6. December 6th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snowball fights are way more interesting when you bring Charlie's friends into things-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo Abi, 
> 
> I hope you realise that I'm hoping this is what we'll do next weekend- although perhaps not quite to this level...
> 
> Anyway, happy snow-stuff prompty day
> 
> \- Shona

Cas got up early on December sixth. Much to Hanael’s irritation, he moved her and her bed from in front of the closet and set to digging around in it for his snow trousers and thermals. From Dean’s descriptions, it sounded like he would need them.

When he’d finally pulled on thermals and snow trousers, jacket and scarf, gloves and hat, he caught a glimpse of himself in the weakly mirrored reflection of his window. He looked like a marshmallow, padded and wrapped in enough layered that the only visible parts of him were his face and one hand, which he hadn’t put a glove on yet because it made it so much harder to manage the key.

No one was on the stairs as he headed down, but the street was full. It had snowed again, a crunchy layer that looked and sounded perfect for construction. Carefully crouching down, Cas scooped up a handful of snow and shaped it into a snowball. In childish fascination, he smoothed a hand over it until it was perfectly round.

Dean had told him to meet them in the school’s open playing field. With no games or training taking place on it, it was empty other than them, the children preferring to go sledging or play in their own gardens.

The first person Cas recognized was Charlie, who was shoveling snow with a massive guy who, judging by Dean’s description, must be Sam. Cas approached them, waving when Charlie spotted him.

“Hello,” he greeted them, voice muffled by his scarf. 

“Hey Cas,” Charlie set down her shovel, “Cas this is Dean’s brother Sam- Sam this is Cas.”

Sam extended a gloved hand with a smile, “Hi Cas- are you on our team?”

“He definitely is not.” Warm arms, similarly wrapped in a winter jacket, slipped around Cas- Dean. Letting one arm stay resting on Cas’ shoulder and the other drop, Dean stepped to stand beside Cas, “There’s no way you’re getting Cas on your team, Sammy.”

“Man,” Charlie groaned, “But you already got Jo, Ash, and Benny- how is it fair if you get Cas too?”

“I’ll let you have Kevin?” Dean offered. Charlie considered for a moment, and then nodded. 

“You nerds have 5 minutes and then it’s war,” Sam warned with a smirk, “And you’re going to lose this one.”

Hurriedly, Cas and Dean ran across the field to join what Cas assumed must be the rest of Dean’s team. A wall, about waist height, had already been build, and a little boy was making snow angels in front of it. As they rounded the wall, Cas spotted his neighbour Benny Lafitte filling a wheelbarrow with snowballs while a taller, long-haired man was digging into the mound of snow behind the wall to create a kind of cave. 

Opposite him, a blonde girl whom Cas assumed must be Jo was building up the wall even further and beginning to create little slits the width of a fist at intervals in it.

“Guys,” Dean called out to get their attention, “This is Cas.” There was a chorus of greetings, with one “hello brother” from Benny, and Cas waved shyly back. “Cas, these are my useless teammates- meet Jo, Ash, and Benny. Alfie is the one making snow angels outside, by the way.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Cas said, nodding to each of his new teammates in turn.

Jo stalked forwards and tossed Dean a shovel, “Get to work Winchester.” She turned to Cas. “Ash is in charge of strategy from the back, Benny is in charge of brute force and tactics in the field.”

Cas chuckled at the terminology. “What about you?”

“I’m the boss,” she said proudly, “while Winchester does odds and ends and pretends he’s my second in command.”

“Okay,” Cas frowned. Dean had handed him a shovel as they crossed the field. “What should I do?”

“Whatever needs doing.”  
\--

Frantically, Cas scooped up handful after handful of snow from their supply pile. Roughly and quickly he shaped them into snowballs and stuck them in the wheelbarrow. After a particularly nasty hit to his face, Benny had ordered him back to the fort, telling him to restock the ammo. 

Ash was still creating their backup plan- a retreat cave that apparently would save them from anything. Personally, Cas wasn’t sure if he believed that would work in any capacity- the tunnels themselves were only snow, after all- but after Dean’s stories the night before, he decided to trust Ash’s abilities.

The little boy, who it transpired was Benny’s nephew Alfie, was making a fort ‘guard’: a four foot snowman wearing one of Cas’ scarves and acting as an agreed truce zone.

As Cas wheeled their renewed supply of ammo back, Dean slid into the fort, the remnants of countless snowballs decorating his jacket and trousers, as well as sprinkled in his hair. 

“Last stand, Jo reckons,” Dean panted, grabbing snowballs from the wheelbarrow, “are you in?”

Cas nodded and began to grab as much of his own ammunition as he could. At the mouth of the cave, Dean called in to Ash, yelling something about their Plan B that Cas didn’t quite hear. And then the two of them were charging back out and into the open field, hurling snow as they went.

Bam- the snowball hit Cas’ chest, and pushed the breath out of him. He threw one back blindly in the direction it had come from and kept going. Benny appeared at his side and Cas passed him some spare ammo and headed right for their enemy fort. 

Charlie appeared round the side and hurled two at him, rapid-fire. One hit his face, blinding him, and he stumbled right into Dean. The two of them hit the snow together, spitting as they each got a face full of it. Dean was laughing, hand grasping for Cas’ and pulling them both to their feet. Charlie, Sam, and Kevin had emerged from behind their feet with fresh supplies of snowballs.

“Retreat?” Dean called to Benny and Jo. The four of them turned tail and sprinted, snowball after snowball hitting them on the back as they headed for the relative safety of their own fort, the other team right at their heels.

“Ash!” Jo screamed, “Ash you better have a plan!” As a team they slid behind the fort and into the cave as fast as they could. At their entrance, Ash spun round, unsurprised. 

“Everyone grab a shovel and cover up the entrance as much as you can,” Ash instructed them calmly, “I’ll do the rest.

They had scarcely covered up half of the limited doorway before the other team were sliding into the fort and leaping through the door and throwing their ammunition. 

“Step back,” Ash told them, “Into the tunnel if you can.”

Cas stepped back, feeling for the wall of the cave behind them but finding only air. Dean yanked him back further, just as ask jabbed at the ceiling of the cave with a shovel. It crumbled, a mass of unrealistically stable snow falling down and onto the team below it. 

In the edge of the tunnel, Cas only felt the spray and Dean’s hand in his. After a moment, Charlie sat up, shaking her head to get out the snow, and, reaching inside her jacket, pulled out a white flag.

From around Cas, cheers sounded, and he joined them happily. Dean twirled him round and kissed him, both their lipped chapped by the cold and the snow, but happy nonetheless. 

For good measure, once they broke apart, grinning, Dean threw the last of his snowballs at his little brother. Cas copied him, hurling his last one at Charlie. Their ‘enemies’ sat, stunned and snow-dusted, for a moment. And then Sam shook his head, snow scattering from his hair, and laughed.

“That was impressive,” he told Ash as he stood up, “And I did not see it coming.” He extended his hand to a blond girl- Jess, if Cas remembered correctly- and helped her up. 

Charlie followed suit. Spitting out snow, she addressed him and Dean. “We still on for sledging next weekend?” she asked, pulling up her hood.

“Sure,” Dean grinned, “But Charlie-“

“Yeah?” 

His smile widened, “You’ve got a snowball in that hood.”


	7. December 7th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there's a movie night and popcorn skills are tested

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is less explicitly "Christmas", to be honest, Abi. I mean, sure, I could have looked up the plot to 'A Miracle on 34th Street' (or whatever it's called) but I thought this might a. be cuter, b. make more sense, and c. not require too many nauseating Christmas films to be thought of on a Monday morning!
> 
> Anyway- Happy Monday!  
> \- Shona

It was a relief when Cas finally closed his lesson planner and dismissed his last class on December seventh. As the winter break approached, the students got progressively more excitable. Not all of them celebrated Christmas of course, but the three-week holiday was enough to make them all eager to be done with school for the year.

Some of the snow had melted over the course of the day and turned slushy. Cas headed straight to Dean’s, pausing only to dump his things at his apartment. At the base of the building, he scanned the lines of buzzers until he found D. Winchester. 

Dean opened the door at the top of the third flight of stairs with a grin. “Hey Cas,” he said, stepping aside to invite him in, “I’ve got out snacks and a stack of movies- you ready?”

He hung his coat on the row of hooks and followed Dean into the sitting room. The couch, an old leather affair with a couple of mismatched cushions, faced a wide TV. A coffee table was covered in stacked coasters and an array of pieces of metal that looked like they came from under a car’s bonnet.

“How’s your day been?” Cas asked, taking a seat and appraising the stack of DVDs on the floor in front of him, “Mine wasn’t too bad.”

“Someone brought in a ’68 Buick Special Deluxe,” Dean shrugged, but a smile played on his lips, “So not too bad.”

Cas eyed the films. Some of them he recognized, like a Harry Potter film and Narnia. Others he wasn’t so sure about, like something called ‘Home Alone’, ‘The Avengers’, and ‘The Polar Express’. 

“You like old cars?” Cas asked. He slid off the couch and onto the floor, setting out the films on the carpet to see them better. 

“Yeah- none of them quite match up to my Baby though.”

“Your ‘Baby’?”

Dean joined him on the carpet. “1967 Chevrolet Impala,” he said fondly, “V8, 327 4 Barrel- beautiful in every way.” 

Cas leaned against Dean, nudging him with his shoulder, “So what film shall we watch?” Casting an eye over the titles, Cas confessed he had seen only a few of them.

Sitting bolt upright, Dean grabbed for one of the titles and held it up. “Are you telling me you haven’t seen the Avengers,” he gaped, “How-“

“Simply haven’t felt the need,” Cas shrugged.

“This film is a classic-“

“Then,” Cas placed a hand on Dean’s shoulder, using it to tug Dean forward into a soft kiss, and then pushing him gently back with the same hand, “We’ll watch it together.”

Looking a little surprised, mouth open in a soft ‘o’, Dean nodded. 

“Well, shall we get started?”

Dean scrambled to his feet. Nearly dropping it, he picked up the DVD and the remote. The machine opened to reveal another film inside it already- Star Wars, if Cas read correctly. Dean switched out the discs and closed the machine, backing up to sit on the couch. 

As the screen shifted to the Marvel logo, Cas joined Dean on the couch. Again, he leant back against Dean, who reached out and took Cas’ hand with his remote-free one.   
\--

By the thirty-minute mark, Cas decided he was invested in this film. Dean had, admittedly, had to explain a couple of back-stories to him at the beginning; he found himself particularly fond of the Captain. The absolute loyalty to country- a family of sorts, he supposed- and desire for orders reminded him of his own time in the military’s special unit. 

“I understand Cap’s loyalty,” he said as much to Dean, “it must affect his opinions and desires in terms of what the Avengers do-“

Dean reached back and batted Cas’ hand, “Dude shut up it’s getting good.”

As the Avengers fought amongst themselves, Stark discovering S.H.I.E.L.D.’s own intentions, Cas gripped Dean’s hand tightly. As the film had progressed, Dean had decided to lie down, using a pillow on Cas’ lap as head support, and Cas found himself playing distracted with Dean’s hair.   
\--

Half way through, just as one of the Helicarrier’s engines went down, Dean got up and grabbed fresh popcorn, as well as drinks for the both of them. When he got back, Cas didn’t press play on the remote again. Instead, the two of them sat opposite one another on the couch, the popcorn bowl between them. 

“I like this very much,” Cas confessed between sips of the tea Dean had brought him, “perhaps tomorrow we can meet at the library again?”

Dean snagged another piece of popcorn. “Sure,” he grinned. Then he tossed the kernel into the air, arching his head back, mouth open to catch it. It hit him on the nose and fell into his lap. 

Cas laughed.

“I’d like to see you do any better,” Dean said indignantly, but he was smiling. 

From the pile in his hand, Cas picked a piece and threw it. Although it sailed back a little further than he’d meant it to, when it came down, it landed right in his mouth. Smugly, he sat up properly and chewed it. 

Dean grabbed another piece. “This time,” he promised, “This time I got it-“  
\--

When the popcorn was finally all gone- mostly into their mouths- Dean and Cas sat on the couch laughing. It was nearing ten o’clock, and they were both starting early next morning. 

Brushing popcorn pieces off himself, Cas stood up. “We never finished the film,” he pointed out.

“You’ll just have to come back then, won’t you?”

“Of course,” Cas grinned, leaning down to kiss Dean briefly, “I’ll be back.”

Then Cas picked a stray bit of popcorn from Dean’s hair and tossed it, catching it effortlessly on his way out.

“You smug-“

“Bye Dean,” he laughed, and headed out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this is for my usual fantastic beta, this is, unsurprisingly, unbeta'd- if you spot any mistakes, please let me know.


	8. December 8th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas catches a cold, but it's okay because there are people to look after him-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Abi,
> 
> Please ignore medical inconsistencies and the fact that Cas shouldn't really be drinking too much milk. Focus on cuteness and also my inclusion of cool characters-
> 
> Enjoy, and good luck at the concert!

In the middle of the night, Cas woke up. He couldn’t breathe through his nose and he coughed as he headed into the kitchen to find some of the Vick’s stuff he kept in the cupboard. That and a box of tissues in hand, he went to bed.

Half-awake next morning, he called administration, telling them he needed the day off. His clogged nose and tired voice easily convinced Becky, their receptionist, to let him do that. 

Charlie found him at lunch, sleeping on the couch beside a rapidly cooling mug of honey and lemon. She woke him gently. “Hey Cas?” she said, when he finally woke up, “How about we move you to the bookshop?”

Groggily, Cas nodded. He fumbled for his phone as Charlie slung an arm round his shoulder and helped him up. “I’m supposed to be meeting Dean-“

“He’ll find you,” she comforted. Together, they worked their way out and down the stairs. Charlie nabbed Cas’ coat on their way out, and she wrapped it round his shoulders as they headed down the street and to the bookshop.

Gilda met them at the door. “You can put him on one of the back couches,” she whispered, “the café is pretty empty anyway.”

Between them, Gilda and Charlie sat Cas down on a sofa towards the back of the café. Coat draped over him like a blanket, Cas lay down. He toed off his shoes and curled up, sniffling a little from the runny nose the cold had given him.

“What do we do now?” Charlie asked, “Should we call someone?”

“It’ll be fine,” Gilda reassured her, “We have some blankets in the back, and Meg might be willing to help if you ask her very nicely.”  
\--

Coffee in hand, Meg sat down at the end of the couch. “Well,” she smirked, holding her mug up in a sarcastic toast, “To your health.”

Cas coughed weakly in response. Charlie and Gilda had all but swaddled him in blankets, piling pillows under his head and constantly refilling his mug. He had dozed fitfully, always aware of someone at his side. 

“Charlie is setting up film night for the rugrats,” Meg told him, “And Gilda’s called your boyfriend for you.”

“Thank you,” Cas croaked. 

Meg dismissed him, “Anything for my unicorn.” She got to her feet; taking Cas’ empty mug from the table beside him, “Sleep well.”

She had barely disappeared behind the counter and into the kitchen when the door opened again. Dean appeared, sloppily dressed with mismatched gloves and his scarf on the verge of falling on the floor. “Cas?” He called, earning glares from anyone in the bookshop, “Cas?”

Charlie jogged over, leaving Gilda to fiddle with the projector. “He’s over there,” she pointed Dean in the right direction, “And it’s just a cold.”

Skirting round tables and chairs, Dean half ran to Castiel’s side. “You alright?” 

Cas struggled past the blanket burrito he was wrapped it, sitting up. “I’m fine,” he said, and then rather ruined the effect by coughing, “Don’t worry.”

The back of Dean’s hand was on his forehead in an instant, measuring for temperature. Cas watched Dean; saw his eyebrows scrunch together and worry in the set of his mouth. Gently, Cas tugged Dean’s hand away.

“I’m fine,” he promised, and softly kissed Dean’s forehead, still cold from being outside. Dean still looked worried though, so Cas fought his way up until he was standing properly again, “Why don’t we make some hot chocolate?”  
\--

Dean found chocolate powder in the back cupboards- proper stuff too. Cas stuck on the kettle and set some milk to boil in a saucepan. Still with one blanket round his shoulders like a fluffy cape, he watched over the milk. 

“A watched pot doesn’t boil, you know,” Dean sidled up behind Cas, slipping his arms around Cas’ waist and resting his chin on Cas’ shoulder. 

Cas whacked him with a wooden spoon. 

From the drainer beside the sink, Dean grabbed two new mugs and set them on the counter. He also snagged a spoon and, with it, started to heap some of the powder into the mugs. “If you’re feeling better tomorrow we could come to the movie night, or else help with the last of the decorations-“

“That would be nice,” Cas sniffled. Quickly, lest the milk bubble too much, he poured it into the mugs, watching it turn brown and clumpy. 

Dean stirred until the clumps disappeared; passed one mug to Cas and leaned against the counter to drink his own. “How’re you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” Cas took a sip, coming away with his top lip supporting a pale milk moustache, “I needed all that sleep.”

“I’m not surprised-“

Cas leaned back into him, reproachful, “You’re supposed to tell me I still look great, you know.”

“I’ll tell you in the morning, when you can reply without sounding slightly drunk,” Dean teased, taking Cas’ empty mug from him. Opening the dishwasher, he stuck both mugs on the upper shelf before turning to Cas.

“Alright then,” he smiled, taking Cas’ hand, “Lets get you home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not sure how long tomorrow's chapter will be, given that I have a concert tonight- prepare thyself.


	9. December 9th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's a Christmas tree without a star? Or the top of a ladder without a sprig of mistletoe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I threw up in my mouth a little at how cute this is... 
> 
> Sorry to abandon you at the end of the day today, dear, but it was to come home and write you this, so I hope I'm forgiven-
> 
> \- Shona

Cas went back to school on December ninth, heavily armed with tissues and day-pills. His students seemed happy enough to let him set them work, leaving him to sniffle away in the corner until he dismissed them.

He was just putting his things away when their newest addition to the staff, Mr. Crowley, wandered in. “I hear you’ve a cold,” he commented, “In fact I heard from the other end of the corridor.”

Apologetically, Cas smiled. “It’s just a little cold,” he slipped his coat on and checked his phone. A text had arrived during his last class; it was from Dean, reminding him that they were meeting at the Chamber of Secrets at five. 

Cas walked out the classroom and locked it, Crowley at his side. The corridors were all but empty, with only the last of the students still meandering towards the exits. 

“How about dinner to make you feel better?”

That stopped Cas in his tracks. He half turned, surprised. “Tonight?”

Crowley smirked. “Tonight.”

“I can’t,” Cas said, and pulled his phone out, “I’ve got a date.”

He had felt guilty for disliking someone so quickly when Crowley had joined the staff, but watching Crowley’s eyebrow twitch up in something between irritation and curiosity, he couldn’t deny himself an inner smirk. 

“Perhaps another time?” Crowley said smoothly, quickly getting over his shock, “In case tonight doesn’t work out?”

“Perhaps not,” he replied evenly.   
\--

Cas was still slightly unsettled when he made it to the Chamber of Secrets. It was all but empty, not yet hit by the rush of post-school students, nor that of the after-work adults. 

He spotted Dean by the Christmas tree, rooting through the boxes underneath it with Gilda. Narrowly avoiding tripping over a new stack of books by the beanbags, Cas headed over. 

“Hi.” He stopped by the boxes. Dean looked up after a moment, still talking to Gilda. At the sight of Cas, he smiled. 

“Hey Cas,” Dean pulled Cas in for a hug, “Want to help us find the star?”

Gilda got up, a large, newspaper-wrapped shape in her arms. “Got it,” she said, setting it down on the nearest box and beginning to unwrap it. Three layers of newspaper later, a golden star, intricately shaped and softly glimmering, emerged. Gilda hefted it up, bracing it on her arm. “Want to hang it up, boys?”

“Alright,” Cas lifted the star- surprisingly heavy- out of Gilda’s arms. Glitter, shedded from the ornament, sparkled on Gilda’s shirt. 

Dean ran to grab the ladder, leaving Cas to wait with Gilda. “You too are sweet,” she commented, watching Dean jogging out of sight, “You remind me of Charlie and me when we started out.”

“Do we?” 

“Yeah,” She smiled for a moment, then started rummaging through one of the plastic bags from the boxes, “Make full use of this.” Gilda pulled out a sprig of mistletoe and slipped it into Cas’ pocket, putting a finger to her lips as she did so.

Cas opened his mouth to answer, but then Dean was back. Awkwardly, he set down the ladder and unfolded it. “You coming Cas?” he called over quietly.

Cas picked up the star again and headed over. “You first?” he suggested. Dean agreed and started the climb up, glancing over his shoulder ever so often to check that Cas was following him. 

The platform at the top of the ladder was surprisingly big- large enough for him and Dean to stand side by side. “If you lean over,” Dean said, “I can make sure you don’t fall?”

“Sure,” Cas readjusted his grip on the star, one hand on each point so he could put it on the top of the tree with minimal fiddling. He leaned out, the railing digging into his stomach. After a moment, Dean’s hands steadied him at his sides and he hovered the star over the top branch. Gently, he lowered it onto the top and, after a moment of wobbling, it settled into place. “Done,” he breathed, and Dean pulled him back. 

As he did, Cas remembered the sprig of mistletoe in his pocket and tugged it out. “Hey Cas,” Dean grinned, “I think it looks pretty good.”

Cas nodded, and then reached up and held the mistletoe above their heads. Spotting it, Dean leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Cas’ forehead, and then another to the spot between his brows, then to the tip of his nose. Cas stopped him before he could reach his mouth, stretching up. 

“It does look nice,” he agreed. It was quiet above the library, and Cas took the opportunity to press feather-light kisses to each and every one of Dean’s freckles. 

“That’s not what the mistletoe is for, Cas,” Dean said reproachfully, “You’re supposed to kiss me on-“

Cas interrupted him by decidedly pressing the shortest kiss ever to Dean’s lips. 

“Tease-“

“Show me how it’s done then,” Cas smirked, stepping back the little that he could at the top of the ladder.

With a smirk matching Cas’, Dean titled his head down and started to kiss Cas. And he kissed like he was trying to make Cas forget how to breathe- which he did- or forget his own name- which he nearly managed. Dean kissed him with a kind of breathless urgency, as if these moments on top of a ladder would be their last. He kissed in a way that was both gentle- catching thumbs and almost reverent worship- and brutal, in the fierce possessiveness where he held Cas to him.

When they needed to breathe again, Dean only shifted his attentions to repeated the trail of kisses up to Cas’ forehead.

“Dean,” Cas gasped, a little breathless, “I believe I found a Christmas tradition I like.”

The mistletoe had fallen down at some point, swayed softly until it settled somewhere on the ground beneath them. It seemed a little like they were hovering _above_ the world, level with the alcove they’d met in, if only just. 

They headed down together, always touching somewhere- hands, wrists, the awkward twisted kiss on separate steps. Charlie and Gilda were at the bottom, telling a wintery story to a small crowd of toddlers sprawled out across pillows and beanbags with their mothers.

For a moment, they stopped and listened, hands linked only by their little fingers. Charlie spotted them and came over, “I saw you two up there,” she grinned, “Adorable.”

“This is sweet,” Dean commented, gesturing to Gilda and the mass of children.

“This one’s about no two snowflakes being alike.” Charlie shrugged, a fond smile on her face, “Gilda likes it.”

“How often-?”

“Every week.”

Cas turned his head to watch the reading conclude. Gilda showed the children the pictures as she went along, pointing out the robins and the snowflakes with careful attention.

“Almost... almost, but not quite,” Gilda read, and closed the book. The mothers clapped quietly, starting to get their toddlers up. 

“Are you coming again this week?” Charlie asked.

Dean tugged a little at Cas’ hand where it held his, “I hope so.”

“I think so,” Cas agreed, smiling up at Dean, “It’s nice here.”


	10. December 10th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ice-skating? Sounds overwhelming- unless you've got someone to hold your hand...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (And yes, Abi, I do know what this chapter is like. But then, as our shippers will doubtless day, ice-skating is totally an "Imagine your OTP" situation, and I'm shamelessly using it)
> 
> (Hope you enjoy our cliches)  
> (-Shona)  
> \--
> 
> Unbeta'd as usual.

Cas’ last lesson finished at ten to twelve on the tenth of December. His breath a cloud in the cold classroom, he packed up and headed out. Crowley had given him stony looks during the morning’s assembly, but he’d resolutely ignored the glares and kept talking with Mrs. Harvelle.

He’d almost left the building when he noticed Dean, Sam, and Jess sitting in the visitor’s waiting area. Surprised, he stopped, his keycard half way to the scanner. He turned round. “Hello?”

Dean got up, hands in his pockets, “Fancy some ice-skating?”

“I’m not very good-“

“It’s okay,” Jess piped up from where she was tucked in Sam’s embrace, “Neither is Dean-“

Dean glared at her. “Come on, Cas,” he wheedled, “It’ll be fun.”

Sam and Jess got up and headed outside. Cas stared after them, resigned, “They’re going with or without me, aren’t they?”

“Yup.”

Wearily, Cas leaned on the reception desk and signed out, scrawling his signature across two fields and filling the time in another. “Bye Becky,” he called, and then followed Dean out and into the cold.

“You ready?” 

“Depends- are we walking?” Cas asked, shivering a little as he pulled his coat on. He had left his scarf in his classroom, and the gloves in his pockets were pretty pathetic. Given that it was nearing below zero, he wasn’t sure he’d make it if they walked the long way to the ice rink.

“Nah,” Dean smirked, “We’re taking Baby.”

Cas followed Dean through the staff carpark and into that reserved for parents and visitors. It was mostly empty at this time of day. Dean headed down the rows until he reached a black muscle car. Even Cas, who didn’t know much about cars, recognized it as being a nice one.

“This is Baby,” Dean said proudly, patting the bonnet gently, “She’s my ‘67 Chevy Impala.”

“She is very lovely,” Cas ran a hand lightly along the bonnet until he reached Dean’s hand, “How did you come by her?”

“She was my dad's,” Dean took Cas’ hand. Cas didn’t miss the flicker of unease on Dean’s face when he mentioned his father, and he tightened his grip on Dean’s hand. 

“Shall we go?” Sam stuck his head out of the back window, where he and Jess were seated.

Dean opened the passenger-side door for Cas, letting him slide in onto leather seats. A moment later, Dean got in the other side and started up the engine with a rumbling purr. “That’s my girl,” he patted the dashboard, and then flicked on the cassette player, which immediately started to play Led Zepellin.  
\--

The ice rink was all but empty. As they traipsed to the little hut that rented out skates, a hockey team walked out past them. The only people left were two mothers and their three children, sliding round on the ice and giggling.

Sam already had skates- “He used to play hockey at Stanford,” Dean told him proudly- but Jess, Cas, and Dean had to wait for the guy to find them skates in their size. 

Dean insisted on paying for the rental, and they headed through to put the skates on. Cas’ skates were blue and with far more lace than necessary, in his opinion. Eventually though, he wobbled to his feet. 

Sam and Jess were already out on the ice, with Sam pulling Jess along as she got used to skating again. “You coming?” Sam called as they skated past the door, “The ice will melt if you wait much longer-“

Dean offered Cas his hand. “Might be easier,” he shrugged, but something in his stance and expression told Cas that Dean was a little bit nervous.

“Might be,” he agreed, and took Dean’s hand. Together, they cautiously stepped onto the ice, their spare hands holding opposite sites of the entrance-way wall. 

Dean remembered a little technique from childhood lessons, which was more than Cas knew. With Dean muttered quietly, they started round the edge of the rink. “Left out, and back, and right out, and back-“ Dean said steadily, trying to go a bit slower for Cas. 

After a few rounds, Cas felt confidant enough to let go of Dean’s hand. Not for long though, because he found he rather liked the security of hand-holding. “It’s fun,” he commented, eyes on his feet, “I didn’t expect to enjoy this.”

Sam sailed past, an arm round Jess’ waist, and waved. “It feels better when we’re holding hands,” Dean teased, “because you like me so damn much.”

Cas tightened his grip on the edge, letting Dean keep going until their handhold made Dean fall over. For a moment, Dean just sat there, shocked, and then he started to laugh. Cas couldn’t help but join in- Dean, ice skates clumsily out in front of him, sprays of soft ice and falling snow up his trousers. 

“Help me up?” 

One hand firmly on the edge, Cas extended a hand to Dean. Dean grabbed it and pulled, only to slide further along the ice and make Cas slip a little himself. He tried again, this time yanking Cas completely off balance. They both slumped on the ice, feeling the cold seep through their trousers, until Sam and Jess skated by.

Jess pulled Cas up while Sam pulled Dean. Dusting the snow and ice off him, Jess patted Cas fondly. “You two are silly,” she told him, tugging him gently over to Dean, “How about you stick with Sam and me for a bit?”

Sam must have offered the same to Dean because, not a minute later, they were in a row. With Dean and Cas in the middle and Jess and Sam steadying them on either side, they started to skate. Well, Jess and Sam started to skate.

The loss of control was alarming, and Cas gripped Dean’s hand even tighter. Dean squeezed his hand, offering a smile that made Cas feel even more off balance. 

“It’s okay,” Sam offered. He was holding Cas’ hand too, skating elegantly around the rink despite the additional weight, “I’ve got you, and I’m pretty sure Dean’ll kill me if I let go-“

“I will, Sammy,” Dean interjected, seemingly oblivious of how funny he looked with his scarf pulled up to over his nose. 

Cas smiled as they slid to a stop beside the entrance. “I believe you,” he told Dean. Sam and Jess stepped out, walking to get their shoes with the awkward gait of people walking on solid ground in ice skates; Cas and Dean stayed at the edge of the ice. 

“Are you going to come with us again?” Dean asked, hands in his pockets, “Charlie’s organizing another group activity- hopefully less dangerous than last weekend.”

“I wouldn’t bet on in,” Cas muttered. He leaned forward, slipping his free hand into Dean’s pocket to find the hand there, “But I’d love to come.”

Dean’s grin was near blinding, “That’s awesome.” Quick as a flash, he leaned forward and kissed the edge of Cas’ mouth, “We’ll be awesome.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter was late- I have kickboxing and also way too much work.


	11. December 11th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You really can't practically live in a bookshop and not do a bit of reading-
> 
> (Unbeta'd as usual... Also beware my Britishisms like 'sledging', 'flat' etc.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Abi,
> 
> I hope you like my choice of reading material- it's a rather splendid book, isn't it? I considered the Iliad but it didn't seem quite right.
> 
> Hope you're ready for our trip-  
> \- Shona

“Sledging,” Charlie announced as she set down their mugs of eggnog on December eleventh, “We’re going sledging tomorrow.”

Cas blinked. “Sledging?” He was still tired from a full day’s work, and the late hour they’d returned at the night before hadn’t made him want to get up that morning.

(Dean had walked him home after they’d dropped off Sam and Jess. They’d been laughing, trying to catch snowflakes on their tongues. Someone had built a snowman by the door to Cas’ building, and Dean had given it his hat.

“Doesn’t look too bad,” he’d said, appraising the barely two-foot tall creation, “But it needs a scarf.”

He had borrowed Cas’, kissing him on the nose to placate him. Together, they gazed up into the sky. It was bordered with clouds and full of gently falling snow

The church clock had struck midnight, chimes sharper in the cold night. Dean had started, as if he hadn’t quite realized it was so late. He took his hat back from the snowman. “I should go,” Dean had said, pulling Cas into a brief, one-armed hug, “See you tomorrow, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Cas has agreed, and Dean had set off. In the muted street lighting, he had quickly disappeared into the darkness. Almost absent-mindedly, Cas had watched him go until the cold bit enough at his neck and remind him to collect his scarf and go inside to bed.)

“Sledging,” Charlie nodded emphatically, and looked to Dean for support, “It’ll be fun.”

The café section of the Chamber of Secrets was due to close in an hour, but Dean, Cas, Charlie, and Gilda were all squashed in one of the booths discussing the weekend game of choice. Seeing as they were (supposedly) paying guests, Charlie had brought out eggnog and tea, as well as some of Ellen Harvelle’s pie, to which they all helped themselves while they discussed. 

“How is that competitive?” Dean asked through a mouthful of the apple pie.

None of them were sure they liked the glint in Gilda’s eyes when Dean asked that. She leaned forward, bracing her arms on the table. “Hear me out,” she said, taking a quick sip of her tea, “Racing and also partner racing and obstacle courses.”

“Sounds dangerous?” 

Dean laughed, “That’s kind of the point, Cas.”

“Ash already said yes,” Charlie interrupted guiltily, “As did Benny, Sam, Jess, and Jo.”

“So it’s just us?”

Gilda shrugged, the beginnings of a smirk curling the edge of her mouth. “Just you.”  
\--

Charlie and Gilda kicked them out of the café half an hour later, still crowing that they’d managed to convince them to come sledging. In fact, Charlie seemed smugger that she had only had to bribe Dean one extra slice of pie than that she’d got him to agree at all. Since the bookshop was still open, Cas and Dean headed back through the shelves until they found a sofa. 

It was overstuffed and had far too many cushions, but they curled up on it anyway. “Competitive sledging,” Dean shook his head in something like a mix of disbelief and awe, “only Charlie and Gilda would come up with that.”

“It does sound fun,” Cas admitted, “Although I am uncertain as to how safe it will be.”

“Not very,” Dean told him, slipping an arm around Cas’ shoulders, “That lot don’t do ‘safe’.”

For a minute they both just sat there, looking down the aisles of books, which shone with the soft glow of fairylights and their reflection on the tinsel they had hung up. Cas marveled at how quickly this had become something normal- something safe- for him. Dean a warm and familiar touch, and the Chamber of Secrets more and more like home.

“What’s your favourite book?” Dean asked, interrupting Cas’ train of thought.

Cas knew he looked shocked. “I could never have favourites-“

Dean gave him a stern look. “Name one of your favourites, then.”

The bookshelves in Cas’ flat were full enough to give testament as to how he most definitely did not have favourites; he relented anyway and got up. Dean looked up at him, puzzled.

“I’ll show you,” Cas said simply, offering a hand to help Dean up, “It’s on a bookshelf near the front.”

Accepting Cas’ hand, Dean got up. They didn’t let go though, and wandered back through the shelves until Cas stopped, running his hand along the spines of a row of books at his eyelevel. After a moment, he pulled out a book. It was black, with a bronze-coloured rat settled above the title. “Neverwhere,” Dean read aloud, “by Neil Gaiman.”

The bookshop’s copy was, understandably, a lot less... destroyed than Cas’ own, but he trailed a hand down the spine lovingly anyway. “Have you heard of it?”

Dean shook his head, reaching out for the book. Cas handed it over, and Dean read the blurb to himself. “It sounds interesting.”

“I like it- there’s something to knowing that even the angels couldn’t be perfect and that there’s more to worlds than what we’re aware of.”

Tugging his hand, Dean pulled him back to their couch. “Read to me?” he asked, patting the space beside him, just like he had before their movie night.

Cas sat down beside Dean and opened up the book. He kicked off his shoes and shifted until he was sitting comfortable, with his feet tucked under Dean’s thighs to keep them warm. He cleared his throat. “She had been running for days now, a harum-scarum tumbling flight through passages and tunnels,” he read, well-known words flowing easily off his tongue, “She was hungry, and exhausted, and more tired than a body could stand, and each successive door was proving harder to open.”  
\--

Charlie found them an hour later, Cas still reading to Dean though his voice was growing increasingly rough. “I’m sorry boys,” she said, interrupting Cas’ conclusion of the fourth chapter, “I’m closing up.”

Contentedly, Cas closed the book and slipped his feet out from underneath Dean and back into his shoes. “Did you enjoy that?” he asked Dean.

“I did,” Dean smiled, taking the book from Cas, “We should keep reading it later.”

They followed Charlie to the front, hand in hand again. Together, they bid her and Charlie goodnight. “See you tomorrow,” Dean winked.

“How’s ten?” Charlie called, and they voiced back their agreement.

“I enjoyed that a lot,” Dean said when they were out in the night air, “but I promised Sammy I’d get dinner with him- I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Cas nodded, mentally wondering if he needed to dash to a store quickly so he could make dinner. “See you tomorrow.” He leaned forward and kissed Dean, who immediately melted into it, yanking Cas closer by the edges of this jacket’s hood. 

“You’re damned addictive, Cas,” Dean told him as Cas pushed him up against the wall of the bookshop, “I might have to keep you.”

“So are you,” he replied, whispering into Dean’s ear, breath gently enough to make Dean shiver, “And I might be the one keeping you.”


	12. December 12th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sledging is dangerous and devious, but bets and snow angels might make it worth it.
> 
> (Unbeta'd as usual)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Abi,
> 
> We went sledging today, so I thought this an appropriate topic- perhaps we weren't quite so competitive or borderline violent... But it was fun, so here's a chapter.
> 
> -Shona

Dean picked Cas up on December twelfth, pulling up by his building in his car and beckoning Cas inside. Cas didn’t own a sledge, but he had snow trousers, a thick jacket, gloves, and a scarf on anyway. 

“You’re wrapped up warm,” Dean told him as he pulled him over for a brief kiss.

He shrugged. “I wasn’t sure what to expect,” Cas confessed, “I thought it best to be prepared.”

The sledging hill wasn’t far. It towered up just behind the school, more like a mountain than a ‘hill’. Dean parked at the bottom. From the boot, he pulled two old-fashioned wooden sledges and passed one to Cas. “You ever sledged?”

“My brother Gabriel was particularly fond of it, but I don’t remember much besides ending up face-first in the snow a lot.” 

Dean laughed as another car pulled up. Jo, Ash, Benny, and Kevin spilled out, laughing. Enthusiastically, they waved hello and went to yank their own sledges out of the trunk. There was a true range- bright ones with breaks and steering, old wooden ones like Dean’s, and even a few sleek metal ones that looked like they were based on the older ones. 

“Where’s Charlie?” Ash asked, sweeping his hair into a ponytail. He tucked it into the back of his jacket “She said she’d meet us here.”

“Maybe we should head up?” Benny suggested. He leaned on his sledge, which was nearly half his height, with casual ease. When he saw Cas looking, he grinned and nodded.

As a crowd, the six of them began the walk up. There was a magic-carpet style lift, but it hadn’t been turned on yet. Instead, they walked up, pulling their sledges behind them on strings or under their arms. “Dean not scared you off yet?” Jo asked, her sledge bumping into his as she fell into step beside him.

“Funnily enough,” Cas told her, “No.”  
\--

Charlie was waiting for them at the top. She and Gilda were having a snowball fight, tackling each other to the ground to stuff snow down shirts and shove them down the steeper and icier slopes. When they spotted the six of them, Charlie cheered and punched the air, while Gilda simply waved.

“You losers made it,” Charlie grinned, “Half thinking we might have to declare ourselves winners.”

“Nah,” Benny said sardonically, heading over to Charlie’s side and the two traffic cones she’d set out to mark the starting line, “You ain’t going to beat us that easy.”

“No?” Charlie set down her sledge beside the nearest cone, “Prove it.”

Like Charlie’s words had been some kind of signal, they all lined up by the cones. Cas, slightly nervously, put down his sledge, still holding onto the rope. “Dean?” he asked, struck by an idea, “What do you bet I can’t beat you?”

Dean considered it, “Another few chapters of that Neverwhere book?” 

“And if I win?” 

“Bragging rights?”

“Make him watch all the Harry Potters,” Jo chipped in from the sidelines, “He’s still not seen most of them.”

Momentarily distracted from setting up their race, Charlie scrambled over. “Winchester, do you mean to tell me you still haven’t finished the movies?” she looked betrayed, but soon shifted to smirking, “Get ready to race.”

Barely holding back laughter, Cas held a hand out to Dean. “Deal?” he asked.

“Deal.” 

“Race is to the two cones at the bottom of the hill,” Gilda explained, “There are very few rules- stay on your sledge until you fall off and start from behind the finish line. Winner is the first past the finish line. Good luck.”

They all sat down on their sledges, heels dug into the snow to stop them moving. Before Gilda could blow her whistle, Charlie got up. “By the way I set up a camera down there so we can actually tell who wins.”

And then Gilda blew the whistle and they all let their heels lift from the ground. It was frightening how fast the sledge moved. It was probably a good thing that the first part of the ‘course’ was flat, because Cas had no idea how to steer. 

Benny and Jo immediately took the lead, driving their metal sledges extremely close to each other and throwing snowballs at each other when the slope allowed it. Kevin sailed after them, steering his own sledge round corners at the last minute, nearly flying off at some points. 

As best as he could, Cas followed. Somehow he managed to avoid a massive snowbank, faring far better than Ash, who flew right into it, his sledge jamming in the soft snow. 

As a tight corner approached, Cas desperately leaned away, digging his heels into the snow to try and stop himself flying off track. He closed his eyes, expecting cold impact. At the last moment, something- or someone- pulled him back on track. He opened his eyes to see Charlie speeding after Dean. She waved.

“Thank you!” He called, but he was sure she would hear him. A spray of snow blinded him as he rounded the corner, miles behind everyone else. 

At a snail’s pace, he reached the next bend. A drop- steep- awaited him. Ahead, he could see everyone else and, further one, the cones that signaled the end of the race. As Cas watched, Benny forced Jo into a snow bank, throwing her off her sledge. 

A surge of determination struck Cas, and he angled his sledge. With a push, he and his sledge toppled over the edge, speeding down between two hills to cut off the corner. There was no control, no finesse- just speed. 

He flew back onto the track, heels bouncing in the snow as he tried to slow down. Charlie and Benny were ahead of him, and, as they crossed their makeshift finish line, he crashed into Dean. The two of them tumbled off their sledges and over the finish line, a mess of tangled limbs.

Dimly, Cas registered Kevin speeding past him, followed by Ash and then Jo. He also noticed someone had knocked over a cone when they passed. Eventually- after an age, or so it seemed- he and Dean came to a standstill. Dean, beneath him, was pressed deep into the snow, still spitting the stuff out. Cas was sprawled out, partly over him, their heads in alignment. 

Dean started to laugh, a cold hand coming up to take Cas’. “I think that’s a draw,” he said after he’d sat up. Cas nodded. Leaning against Dean, their sledges in the nearest drift of snow, he started to laugh. 

Suddenly, Dean got up and started to pull at Cas’ hand. “Come on,” he said impatiently. Confused, Cas got up and followed Dean over their abandoned sledges and into the empty space of snow behind it. Side by side, next to the others, they lay down in the snow and, shifting their arms, made snow angels. 

Dean caught Cas’ hand where their wings overlapped. The snow was a good kind of cold against his skin. “Okay,” Charlie clambered through the snow and over to them, her phone in her hand. “Benny is our winner,” she announced, and Benny sat up to cheer, “with me close behind.”

 

Benny and Charlie highfived, and Gilda took the phone to continue. “Dean and Cas tied at third, with Kevin, Ash, and Jo in fourth, fifth, and sixth respectively.”

Cas rolled over in the snow so he was facing Dean, his head on his arm. “So who wins the bet?” he asked.

“Maybe we both do?” Dean suggested, “I wouldn’t mind another movie night with you.”

“Goodness, Winchester,” Jo said, appearing at their feet, “When did you get that soppy?”

Dean threw a snowball at her. “None of your business, Harvelle.” He turned back to Cas, “Now, I think you owe me some more chapters of Neverwhere?”


	13. December 13th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Movie marathon? Way more Christmassy when it's Harry Potter with the added pillow forts and festive fires and cuddling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wasn't sure I'd make this one, Abi. We got a bit busy with cupcake roulette and Jurassic Park and not mashups? It's been fun, though...
> 
> -Shona

On the thirteenth of December, Cas headed to Dean's early. Half way down the road, someone called his name. Turning round, Cas spotted Anna hurrying towards him, carrying multiple shopping bags. 

"Anna?" Cas said, pleasantly surprised, "I didn't expect to see you here."

She caught up with him, boots crunching the snow. "Dean's brother is one of my students," Anna explained, "He suggested I come along to help with the decorating too."

Anna taught an art night class at the local community college, one which it turned out that Sam attended, often with his girlfriend Jess. It was a frequent class, and informal enough that Anna was well acquainted with all her students. "I've brought some of the leftover paper chains," she told him, "and some of the ornaments Sam and Jess' art class made."

"What kind of ornaments?"

Anna waved him off. "I'll show you when we're inside," she promised. 

Dean met them at the door, sweeping Cas into a tight hug. Behind them, Sam thundered down the stairs. "Hi Cas!" he grinned, "Hey Anna- glad you could make it."  
\--

In pairs- Dean with Cas, and Anna with Sam- they headed up to the apartment. "Since I owe you a movie marathon," Dean said, opening the door and ushering them inside, "I thought we could do that- I got out all the Harry Potter films that I don't know."

Anna held up her bags. "I've brought some decorations," she shrugged, "Perhaps between movies?"

From his flopped position along the couch, Sam nodded. "I've already seen the films," he said, "So I can always decorate while you watch."

Dean grabbed the DVDs from the coffee table, sliding the first off the pile and holding it up. He wiggled it, smiling, "Shall we start at the beginning, then?"

Sam rolled over with a tired groan, falling off the couch. Legs still hooked on the couch, he reached an arm out to Anna. "You're a lazy lummox," she said, exasperated, but helped him up anyway.   
\--

Despite his promise, Sam ended up sprawled over a beanbag before they'd even started the second film. Dean had slid down to sit between Cas' legs, leaning back against the sofa. Even Anna, a paper chain settled brightly against the red of her hair, found a seat perched on the arm of the sofa. 

"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened- enemies of the heir, beware," Sam recited along. 

Dean threw a pillow at him.   
\--

By the time they finished the fourth film, no one was sitting on the couch anymore. Stretched out across the floor, they'd become a tangle of limbs. Dean had got bored and decided to try and distract Cas with a mixture of tickling and kisses. 

Once Anna gave up and called for takeaway for lunch, they decided to take a break. 

"Why don't three of us to and get drinks from the Chamber of Secrets?" Sam suggested. 

"Why only three of us?" Dean asked, looking lazily up from where he and Cas rested in a nest of blankets, pillows, and jumpers. 

"That way someone's here when the take away arrives."

Cas groaned. He was, he decided, really far too comfortable to move. "You two get the drinks, we'll wait for the take away."

Beneath him, Dean's stomach rumbled. They'd been watching for nearly nine hours, foregoing lunch in favour of whatever snacks they'd scrounged from Dean's cupboard. All of them were hungry, and cold, since they'd forgotten to close the windows and snow had started to blow inside.   
\--

In the end, Sam and Anna left to get drinks. Dean started to build up a fire, leaving Cas to try and restore some order to the lounge. He found Dean's jumper behind the couch- a wooly affair covered in tiny stitched reindeer- and pulled it on, shivering. 

Having built up the fire and set it crackling merrily, Dean turned on the radio. 'White Christmas' started playing softly. "Want to make a pillow fort?" Cas asked, lifting up the nearest cushion. 

Dean laughed. "Haven't made one in ages- I might be rusty," he warned, "but sure."  
\--

Anna and Sam returned with drinks and also with Gilda and Charlie trailing in behind them. "Hi," Gilda said guiltily, "We heard there was Harry Potter marathon in progress?"

Dean eyed the takeaway thoughtfully. "I hope there's enough food for this," he muttered. 

"How far are you?" Charlie asked, throwing herself over the couch. 

"We're half way through the fourth one," Sam supplied helpfully, plonking himself down beside her.   
\--

They gave up at the end of the fifth film. Sam and Gilda had fallen asleep, and Anna had draped blankets over them as best as she could. 

Charlie stretched. "That felt good," she admitted, "I haven't marathoned enough lately." She got up and laid herself out on the couch, tugging a blanket up to cover her. 

Anna took the other couch, leaving Dean and Cas the only ones still tucked into their makeshift fort. "Night, I suppose," Cas said sleepily, shifting so he was lying down. Tilting his head up, he kissed Dean on the cheek. Using Dean's chest as a pillow, Cas settled down and closed his eyes. Dimly, he registered Dean turning the TV off. 

"We'll finish tomorrow," Dean whispered, slipping an arm round Cas.


	14. December 14th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did you honestly think they'd make it through a Harry Potter marathon without a pillow fight? Please.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Abi,
> 
> I know you're meeting Merlin today (you're so lucky), but there's a sad lack of dogs in this story. Maybe next chapter? Who knows- Anyway, hope you enjoy!
> 
> -Shona

Cas was very late to wake up on December fourteenth. He awoke, still curled up in their pillow fort, to see the clock reading ten to nine. Panicky, he bolted upright and started rummaging around the chaos of pillows for his stuff. In his rummaging, he woke Dean, who opened his eyes blearily.

“Cas?”

“I’m very late,” he explained, practically tearing the cushions off the couch, “for work.”

“Take a day off,” Dean mumbled. He tugged at Cas’ trouser leg, “It’ll be fine.”

For a moment, Cas paused his search. Looking at the clock, ticking ever closer to nine o’clock and his first lesson of the day, he ran through his timetable. On one hand, he had three classes. On the other hand, he was slightly hungover from the beer and whatever alcohol Dean had found for them, and he wasn’t sure he would be able to reliably teach anyone.

Luckily his phone was still in his pocket. Hurriedly, he dialed the reception and, as the phone rang, climbed out of the fort and into Dean’s kitchen. Becky picked up with an absent-minded greeting.

“Becky, it’s Mr. Novak,” he told her. 

There was the sound of papers shuffling. “Oh hello Mr. Novak,” she said excitedly, “Are you not coming in today?”

“Unfortunately not.” Cas frowned, noticing crumbs on his shirt. He brushed them off.

“Well,” Becky told him, starting to type, “If you send in the work for your classes, I’ll assign some substitutes.”

“Thanks Becky,” Cas smiled, and hung up. His laptop was probably buried somewhere under the mess, and he walked back through with the intent of pulling it out. 

Charlie had woken up while he’d been on the phone, and was beginning to put back the cushions too. “Hey Cas,” she whisper-called, “Is that laptop yours?”

“Thank you Charlie,” Cas smiled, wading in to pick his laptop up off the coffee table, “I should send some emails in to my substitute teachers.”

She looked up, couch cushion held in her arms, “You’re not going in today?” 

“No,” he admitted, “I have a considerable hangover and I’d quite like to finish the marathon.

Laughing, Charlie stuffed the pillow back. Behind her, Gilda emerged from the bathroom, hair wet. “The café is closed Monday morning, anyway,” she added helpfully.

Sam rolled over. “What’s this about taking a day off?” he groaned, “We could do something desperately in the holiday spirit like sleeping for fourteen hours.”

From where he was opening up his email, Cas laughed. Dean walked in from the kitchen, a wooden board functioning as a temporary tray for the six mugs of coffee he was carrying.

Once they were all settled with their mugs, Anna piped up. “We should clean up.” She tugged her phone out from her pocket and unlocked it, pulling up her music app and switching on the radio. Instantly, _Holly Jolly Christmas_ started to play. Smirking, Anna set it down on the coffee table. “Ready?”

Cas just slumped over, pressing a cushion to his ears. “I hate this song,” he moaned. Anna ignored him, choosing to whack him with the pillow she was holding as an alternative. Annoying, he lobbed his pillow in her direction, relieved he’d handed his mug to Gilda on her way to the kitchen a moment ago.

When he looked up though, he’d managed to hit Charlie with the pillow rather than Anna. “Sorry,” he apologized, but before he could get any further, Charlie had hurled her own cushion right back. It knocked him back on the couch, winding him.

Grabbing the pillow from where it had fallen, Cas got up and threw it at Charlie, who neatly sidestepped it. It crashed into Sam, who automatically caught it and threw it back.

Almost instantly, it deteriorated into a full on pillow fight. Anna’s Christmas music still blared, _Jingle Bells_ sounding between the thwap of pillows against skin and the squeals, grunts, complaints, and laughter of the participants. Dean pulled Cas behind the sofa, ducking down to avoid a flying couch-cushion. 

“This can be our barrier of defense,” Dean grinned, “It’s a good thing there isn’t much breakable in this flat.” There were already a couple of pillows behind the couch, and Dean handed one to Cas. “If you get Charlie, I’ll get Gilda, and then we can circle round and take out Anna and Sam.”

Cas nodded. “Just hit them until they give up?” 

“You got it,” Dean leaned forward and pressed a feather-light kiss to Cas’ cheek, “Maybe if we win we can curl up together in what’s left of the mess.” And then, with a remarkable battle cry, Dean vaulted the couch and lunged for Gilda. 

Cas followed, whacking Charlie with his pillow. She whirled around to meet him. “You’re dead, Novak,” she threatened, _Grandma got run over by a reindeer_ setting a sinister if festive tone to her words, and lunged right back at him.  
\--

“I surrender,” Dean and Cas gasped in unison. Sam, Anna, Gilda, and Charlie had all ganged up on them, cornering them and burying them under as many cushions, pillows, blankets, and throws they could find. And, to top it all off, Gilda lay down on top of the pile.

“What’s that?” Sam grinned, leaning down.

It was hot under the pile, and Cas squeezed Dean’s hand. “We surrender,” he repeated, kicking at the pillows. For a moment, nothing happened, and then Gilda’s weight disappeared, and the pillows started to fall off them. 

“Serves you right for trying to gang up on us,” Anna told them smugly. Cas ignored her, leaning heavily against Dean.

“We’ll get you next time,” Dean promised, patting Cas’ head gently, “And it won’t be pretty.”

Charlie raised an eyebrow. “Of course you will,” she laughed, climbing over the remnants of the pile and heading for the kitchen. She stopped in the doorway and looked back at Cas, “You may want to follow up on one of your substitute emails, by the way- the kids seem to have locked him in a cupboard.”

Cas just laughed weakly, “He can wait.”

“Yeah,” Dean whispered into his ear, “We have a war to win.”


	15. December 15th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is anyone else craving gingerbread? I'm definitely craving gingerbread.
> 
> (Unbeta'd and quite late- sorry I had a concert)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Abi,
> 
> Hope you're feeling better- colds suck. Maybe this'll cheer you up- although I think you'll be a bit perkier by the time I give this to you. 
> 
> Isn't gingerbread good for colds? Or is that only when it's in tea?
> 
> -Shona

By the time Cas got home from work on December fifteenth, he was exhausted. He wanted to eat something warm and comforting, and he wanted to sleep. Dean had said he might drop by, but Cas didn’t think he’d be up to much.

Tiredly, he reached for his phone and pulled up his conversation with Dean. Perhaps he should cancel. But, no sooner had he sat down, the doorbell went. Dropping his phone on the couch, he went to open up. 

It was Dean. He stood, fluffy hat and scarf framing his face, in the doorway to Cas’ flat. Beaming, he leaned forward and kissed Cas lightly on the nose. “I thought you might be tired,” he said, “So I brought something easy.” 

“What?” Cas asked curiously, watching Dean stride through his flat and into the kitchen, hanging to his winter-wear on a peg on his way. Cas followed him, scooping up Hanael as he went. 

He found Dean laying out ingredients on his counter, biting his lip. “You got any eggs?” he asked as Cas came in, “I forgot to bring any.”

Leaning against the counter between Dean and the fridge, Cas tried to peer over at the recipe. Seeing him looking, Dean snatched it up and stuck out his tongue, “I’ll show you when you give me an egg.”

“Eggs aren’t real,” Cas deadpanned, trying to snatch the paper from Dean, “What’s an egg? Show me an egg?”

“I could if you’d get me one,” Dean teased, poking Cas in the belly. Cas flinched back, then retaliated by blowing a raspberry, aware of exactly how childish he must sound.

Still, he got an egg out of the fridge- his last one, he noted- and put it down on the counter beside the golden syrup and the cinnamon. “Okay, now will you tell me what we’re making?”

“Gingerbread men.”

“Gingerbread men?” Flicking his gaze up and down the counter, Cas realized that Dean had laid out everything they’d need, including a gingerbread man-shaped cookie, a sieve, and a bowl. 

“Yup,” Dean said cheerfully. He eyed his supplies. “Have you got a working oven?”

“Probably.”

“A food processor?” 

Cas grimaced, yanking the nearest drawer open. It was deep and, at the back, was an ageing mixer. “Will this do?” he held it up doubtfully.

“It’ll do. How about baking trays? Two of em-“

He pointed to the oven. “Again, yes.”

“And, lastly,” Dean scanned the list, “scales?”

While Cas pulled the battered scales down from cupboard above the counter, Dean set the bowl in the centre. Once Cas had the scales, he shifted it to sit on top, the sieve resting on the edge. “Can you sift in the flour?” he asked, starting to line the baking trays, “You need twelve ounces-“

“In grams?”

“’Bout three-fifty.” The trays clanged loudly as Dean slid them back into the oven and set the oven to heat up. He measured out the teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda while Cas sieved, gently dumping it in and following up with the ground ginger and cinnamon. 

“Ah,” Cas’ arm slipped a little, dislodging some of the flour. It clouded the air around Cas, settling in his hair and on the counter. 

Dean laughed to see the white dusting to Cas, pausing on his way to the microwave to gently brush his thumbs over Cas’ cheeks, removing the flour. He bumped their foreheads together, noses grazing, “You’re such a dork,” he muttered, snagging the butter from the counter, “I assume your microwave works?”

The microwave beeped as Dean set the butter to melt. Cas finished sieving the flour, only slightly more floury than expected, and plugged in the mixer. 

A moment later, the microwave beeped again and Dean pulled out the butter. “Knife?” he asked, holding the little bowl over the big one. Cas passed him one, and he scraped the butter in.

“Now we blend it,” he smiled, putting his hand over Cas’ on the mixer. Gently, Cas turned it on to the lowest setting. The bowl rattled, butter and flour beginning to mix even as the flour did its best to escape.

“How did you know I needed something quiet tonight?” Cas asked, leaning back a little into the warm line of Dean against his back.

“A Harry Potter marathon will do that to you,” Dean laughed lightly, twitching the setting up a little, “And it didn’t hurt that I was craving gingerbread.”

Cas snorted and unplugged the mixer. “Spoon,” he demanded, and Dean passed him one, “And sugar?” Dean handed him the sugar and set the bowl back onto the scales.

“You need a hundred and seventy-five grams,” Dean told him cheerfully as he whisked together the egg and the golden syrup. “When does your school break up for the holidays?”

“Put that mix in when you’re done,” Cas slid the bowl over to Dean, “And we break up this Friday.”

“Huh.” Leaning across the counter, Dean plugged the mixer back in and started to pulse it, watching the mixture clump. “You should come to Charlie’s Christmas dinner.”

Cas got out some clingfilm, laying it out beside the bowl for Dean. “What dinner?” 

Dean didn’t answer immediately, focusing instead on kneading out the dough and wrapping it up. Once that was done, he picked it up and, once Cas had opened the fridge, slid it in. “We need to leave that for fifteen minutes.”

Cas started to wipe over the counter, putting away everything they wouldn’t need. Hanael decided to make a nuisance of herself, padding through the flour and sugar. She’d be leaving little white paw prints everywhere she went, Cas thought grimly, only to be surprised when Dean picked her up off the counter and started to stroke her.

“Charlie and Gilda close the Chamber of Secrets on the last Saturday before Christmas every year,” he explained as he scratched Hanael behind the ears, “We eat whatever they’ve got left and watch movies and then read until we fall asleep. It’s fun.”

Cas thought longingly of his Lovecraft, and of the copy of Neverwhere he’d promised to keep reading to Dean. “That sounds lovely,” he admitted, “If I’m welcome-“

Dean grinned and pulled Cas into a one-armed embrace, careful of Hanael. “Course you are.”  
\--

When the timer went, Cas and Dean were sitting on the floor with Hanael lying on Dean’s legs. Cas was reading to Dean, relating Door’s desperate escape and Richard Mayhew’s reluctant discovery of London Below. 

Initially, they ignored the beeping. But then it got too annoying, and Dean scrambled to his feet, dislodging an irritated Hanael. As Dean pulled open the fridge to grab the dough, Cas found two rolling pins. Once Dean had cut the dough in half, they set to flattening it.

For a little while, Dean chatted about the car he was working on, about Sam’s plans to propose to his girlfriend of five years, and about whether or not he could lop limbs of gingerbread men without seeming weird. After they’d cut out all the little shapes and set them in the oven though, Dean pulled Cas back through into the lounge and insisted he carry on with Neverwhere.

“I like it when you read to me,” Dean smiled, trailing kisses up the side of Cas’ face, “You get a little furrow between your eyebrows and it’s sweet.”

Cas batted him away and picked up where they’d left off.  
\--

The gingerbread men, even barely five minutes out of the oven, were perfect. Leant against the counter, he and Dean broke pieces off the more deformed one, letting hot cinnamon and ginger burst into flavour in their mouths.

“Man, we should cook together more often,” Dean groaned, tilting his head back, “these are perfect.”

Cas took another bite of his. “Maybe we should,” he smiled tiredly, “Maybe we should.”


	16. December 16th to 17th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas picks up a tree and there are always cinnamon rolls for breakfast. 
> 
> (Unbeta'd)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Abi,
> 
> I know this one's late, but you know what happened to my internet access yesterday. I gave this fic to you today, and I hope you like it. I hope your tea is still warm and you didn't forget about it- Merry Christmas!
> 
> -Shona

On December sixteenth, Cas stood in his living room and decided he needed a Christmas tree. He had cleaned out a corner a week ago, shifting a bookcase and a beanbag chair out of the way. In his eagerness, he’d even put up the tree stand. But he hadn’t actually bought one. 

The clock read five. Dean should be out of his shift, Cas reasoned, and phoned him. The dull beep of the ring only went a couple of times before Dean picked up.

“Hey Cas,” he sounded cheerful, “I just had one of our gingerbread people to finish up my shift- they’re delicious.”

“I’m pleased to hear that,” Cas said solemnly. He grabbed his coat and started to put it on, shifting the phone so he could get the right arm in the right sleeve.

“What do you need, Cas?”

“I was wondering,” He unlocked the door and stepped out, zipping up his coat awkwardly with one hand, “if you wanted to come and help me choose a Christmas tree.”

Dean’s grin was strangely obvious through the phone. “Sure.”

Pleased, Cas paused half way down the stairs. “Meet me at the place down the road from the school?” 

“Okie dokie- be there in ten.”  
\--

Despite the sales having started on Friday, there were still a healthy number of fir trees leaning against the fence outside the farm. Waiting for Dean to arrive, Cas strolled along, checking the branches and the needles of the trees. Some of the trees were taller than him although he doubted, however tempting it was to buy one, that they’d fit into his apartment.

“Hey Cas,” Dean pulled up in the Impala, eyeing the line of trees with something like mischief, “Chosen one yet?”

“No, I was waiting for you.”

Dean eyed the parking space at the roadside and grimaced. “Give me a minute,” he said, “And I’ll be right with you.”

As Dean eased his car into a spot, Cas started to inspect a tree that was about a head taller than him. He could afford it, it would fit in his apartment, and it didn’t look likely to shed needles. Appraising it, he stepped back, right into Dean.

“It’s very picturesque,” he said conversationally, as if he hadn’t just stood on Dean’s toes.

“Mmm,” Dean agreed, resting his chin on Cas’ shoulder, “Want me to take it back?”  
\--

The tree barely fit in Cas’ apartment. He had to trim off a few of the larger branches to get it to fit in the base, but he liked how it looked. Munching on gingerbread, Cas and Dean started to unpack some of the Christmas decorations that Cas had got out from the basement. 

Dean fiddled with a nutcracker, making its little wooden mouth open and close. “Can I help decorate,” he asked. 

Cas smiled. Dean had a little line of decorations lined up on the coffee table- pretty baubles and Santas, as well as the nutcracker and a glass-spun angel. Decorations he liked, lined up and ready to be hung on the tree. “Sure,” he said, and got up, a red-spun bauble in his hand, “Want to start now? You can stay for dinner-“

Gently, Cas hooked the bauble over a branch just at the level of his hand, struggling to get the flimsy string over the needles. He’d barely managed when Dean slid an arm round his waist and, as his slipped the nutcracker on a branch above his head, pulled Cas closer to him and dropped a kiss on his forehead. “I’d love to, Cas.”

He snagged a decoration from Dean’s hand- the nutcracker, mouth half open- and moved round the tree to hang it up. “We’d better be good at this,” he teased, “We did just decorate Charlie’s one, and that was way bigger.”

“But we had more help,” Dean pointing out, tossing Cas the packet of hooks, “And better fairylights.” He wasn’t wrong- Cas’ remaining fairylights were mostly defunct and in need of new bulbs. 

Cas didn’t need to be at school the next day- he had no lessons, only planning. Perhaps he could spend the day with Dean? Perhaps, and Cas froze at the thought, finger tips resting in the tangle of the pine needles, perhaps Dean could stay the night. His mouth went a little dry at the thought. 

And then Dean was beside him again, his shoulder brushing Cas’, a glass-spun angel in his hands. “What are you thinking about, angel?”

Cas raised an eyebrow. “That was unbelievably cheesy,” he complained, giving Dean his best unimpressed face, “That’s even worse than ‘babe’.”

Dean threw his head back and laughed. Reaching for another decoration, he crept a hand into Cas’. “Well,” he bent down, still holding onto Cas, and hung a bauble from one of the lowest branches, “What were you thinking about?”

“I was wondering, actually,” Cas looked determinedly anywhere but Dean. He focused instead on the golden glint to his ornament’s thread, “if you wanted to stay the night?”

Dean was silent for a minute. Cas watched him push back pine needles and guide bauble after bauble into place. “I would like to,” Dean said, the measure of his words obvious in his tone, “if that’s something you’re okay with.”

Just a little, Cas let the set of his shoulders relax. “Why wouldn’t I be okay with that?” If only to have something to do with his hands, Cas pulled out a piece of tinsel and began to wrap it around the bottom tier of the tree.

“We’ve known each other for two weeks,” Dean said, “I don’t know much about relationships but that’s not a lot.”

Cas snorted. He stood up. “That’s the problem?” he asked seriously, “You’re worried we’re taking this too fast?”

Dean had the decency to look a little sheepish at that. “It sounds clichéd, I know-“

“Dean,” Cas smirked, “I asked you to stay the night, not move in with me.” Dean looked about to protest, so he just picked up another bauble and pressed it into Dean’s palm, “Stay the night. And keep decorating, idiot.” Fondly, Cas kissed Dean, tasting ginger on his lips. 

Dean’s cheeks coloured, but he started to decorate again. “I’ll stay,” he mumbled after a minute, reaching for a piece of tinsel himself. Cas took one end, tucking it carefully into the space between two branches. The other end Dean wound thrice around the tree.   
\--

Around nine, Dean pushed away his plate. They’d eaten a light dinner, the tree their twinkling companion in the corner. “That was nice,” Dean commented, taking a sip of his shockingly decaffeinated coffee.

“Glad you think so.” At some point, Dean had decided that he wanted to eat while leaning firmly against the end of the sofa with his legs sprawling across Cas’ lap. It was strangely comfortable, if a little odd.

Unfolding himself off the couch, Dean scooped up his plate and, sidestepping Hanael, brought his plate into the kitchen. “Can I borrow a pair of pyjamas?” he called as he slid it into the dishwasher.

They’d both better change, Cas realized, and headed into his room to tug his pyjamas out from under his pillows. He grabbed an extra pair from the chest of drawers, hoping they’d fit Dean properly. “I’ll change in the bathroom?” he offered, tossing them to Dean as they both reentered the lounge.

Dean nodded his assent. “I can take couch-“

“Or we could share?”

“Share?”

“It seems most practical,” Cas shrugged. He closed the bathroom door, hurriedly pulling clothes on a off, then squeezing a line of toothpaste onto his toothbrush, “Would you prefer not to?”  
\--

“Left or right?” Cas and Dean stood at the foot of the bed, something like tension in the air between them. 

“Left,” Dean said, and pulled back the covers. Cas slid in at the same time, refusing to make things awkward.

“Night, Dean,” Cas rolled over and steered Dean’s chin by soft finger touch so he could kiss his freckles in a goodnight wish.

“Night Cas,” Dean’s hand found Cas’ under the cover and squeezed, “Sleep well.”  
\--

On December seventeenth, Cas woke to find Dean... well, spooning him. Warm breath ghosted along his neck, and they were still, somehow, holding hands. The clock on the side ticked to quarter past eight, and Cas’ stomach rumbled.

He’d bet a month’s supply of Charlie’s eggnog that Dean liked waffles. 

Carefully, he disentangled himself from Dean. He swung his legs out over the edge of the bed, blearily blinking his vision back into focus. Hanael mewed. She’d snuck onto the bed in the middle of the night, padding herself into position on top of his feet.

The waffle maker was hidden in the very back of the cupboard, and Cas nearly brought down the stack of pots and pans to try to get it out. Luckily, he had all the ingredients at hand, and didn’t need to run down to the corner shop to get anything.  
\--

Cas had just slid the last of the first stack onto a plate when Dean stumbled in, sniffing the air hungrily. “Do you like waffles?” Cas asked as he brought the plate out to the table, a knife and fork resting at the side, “I have maple syrup if you want some.”

“Hell yeah,” Dean grinned, “Course I like waffles.”

He laughed. “Good thing too- I just started a second batch.” And, as they started to settle, bubbles flickering along the surface, Cas passed Dean the maple syrup.

Dean actually moaned when he took his first bite. “These,” he said through a heavily soaked and syrupy mouthful, “are great.”

With his own plate, Cas sat down in front of Dean and nabbed the maple syrup. “I suppose they do say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach-“

“They’d be right,” Dean interrupted, “I’d sell my soul for these.”

Cas leaned across the table and bopped Dean on the nose with a maple-syrup covered finger, “As I was saying, I don’t think I need the waffles.”

Laughing, Dean wiped the syrup away. “Glad you’re confident enough to say that, dude.”

“I am.”

Dean shrugged. “Well you’re not wrong-“

Cas stopped him with a kiss. “Then let me be right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's is yesterday's too- a combined day as an apology for missing one! Here's hoping it doesn't happen again-


	17. December 18th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Return to The Chamber of Secrets- enemies of the Heir, beware!
> 
> (Unbeta'd)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Abi,
> 
> Finally we're free! Here's hoping my chapters begin to get better endings... I'm never sure what to do about them, to be honest!  
> Happy Holidaaaays!
> 
> \- Shona

Cas wore a spectacularly ugly Christmas jumper to the last day of school. It was woolen, striped, and has a massive reindeer in the middle; there was a good reason it only made it’s way out of his closet once a year. 

The students streamed for the exits as the clock chimed twelve, throwing bags over their shoulders and chatting excitedly. Cas held the door open for a few, warmly wishing them happy holidays if they caught his eye.

When the last of them left, Cas let the door close. Hands shoved in his pockets, Cas headed towards the bookshop. He and Dean had arranged to meet there on Saturday morning to join in on Charlie’s dinner, but tonight he was free to do as he pleased.

The lunchtime rush had just hit _The Chamber of Secrets_ , and Cas eventually ended up climbing up to an alcove for space. There was, however, already someone there when Cas pulled himself into the space. To Cas’ surprise, he found himself settled opposite from Charlie.

“Hey Charlie,” he smiled, shuffling into the space, bent over to stop himself from hitting the roof, “How come you’re up here?”

“Needed some quiet time,” she confessed. She didn’t meet his eyes, just gazed across the bookshop in something like quiet contemplation. 

“Do you want me to leave?”

“No,” Charlie looked over to him, lips curving into a soft smile, “And I like your jumper.”

With a rustle, Cas sat down on the beanbag in the corner, “Thanks.”

“Is Dean meeting you here?”

As if his phone had heard, it chimed. Cas pulled it out of his back pocket to find a text from Dean.

**(Fri: 12:34)  
Want to grab lunch? Or just hot choc at Charlie’s? – Dean**

“He might grab a bite here,” Cas told her, “Is the café staying open?”

Charlie visibly relaxed, legs slipping into sprawled inelegance, “Sure- for you two it is.”

“Thanks Charlie.” Hurriedly, Cas typed out a text in response to Dean.

**(Fri: 12:36)  
Sure- I’m there already. I can save us a table. Cas**

He followed Charlie back down the ladder, Lovecraft book tucked uncomfortably underneath his arm. The aisles were full in the kind of way that spoke of browsers who weren’t quite sure what they were looking for, only that they like the process. Carefully, he skirted around them and made his way into the café, still following Charlie. 

He entered the café, which smelled divinely of a mixture of Gilda’s specialty cinnamon bread and coffee, looking for a table. Luckily, just as he walked past, a couple vacated their fireside table. Cas draped his coat over the back of the chair that would be Dean’s and sat down opposite. He pulled out his phone, unlocking it as it chimed again.

**(Fri: 12:42)  
Ill be there in 10- D**

Cas smiled at the reply, imaging Dean pulling his coat on and texting at the same time. He set down his phone on the table, pulling up a word game. He still had forty words to find, and he’d best get started.  
\--

“Hey Cas.” 

Cas looked up from his phone, frowning. He’d found three words. Three. But Dean had sat down opposite him, grinning and with a smudge of grease on his nose. “Hi Dean,” he smiled, “Good to see you.”

“You’re done with work, right?” Dean asked as they made their way to the counter, “No more kids until the new year?”

“Yes,” Cas replied, momentarily diverted from continuing his response while he asked Krissy to pass him some of the sweet bread, a pot of hot water, and a teabag. She slid them over the counter, and Cas paid her. Tray in hand, he waited for Dean to order.

Krissy fetched Dean his coffee. “When do you finish?”

“Today’s my last day actually.” 

The two of them headed back to their table and sat back down, immediately digging in. “You’re still coming tomorrow, right?” The smudge of grease was still on Dean’s nose, and Cas had to smile when he nodded his agreement.

Cas set down his bread. “You’re sure I’m welcome?” 

Sliding a hand across the table, Dean linked their fingers. “Absolutely- it’ll be awesome.” Dean glanced at Cas, “Especially if you wear that monstrosity of a Christmas sweater.”

Cas snorted, tightening his grip on Dean’s hand, “For you, I will.”

“We’ll aren’t you two just sweet enough to give a girl a cavity.” Meg picked up their empty plates, her constant smirk firmly etched on her face. She quirked up an eyebrow at their silence, “What? I’m not allowed to comment on your flourishing relationship?”

Cas winced. When he’d first started frequenting _The Chamber of Secrets_ , Meg had flirted a lot with him. It was only Charlie backing him up that had put a stop to it, even after he’d told her he was gay. He liked her well enough, but things were a little strained between them.

“I’m sorry, Cas,” Dean said, punctuating the sentence with a quick kiss, “I’d better get back to work.”

Cas returned the gesture, squeezing Dean’s hand. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he promised, firmly ignoring Meg, “Bright and early.”

Dean cast a furtive glance at Meg. “You’ll be fine,” he insisted, and Cas caught the double meaning with a grateful smile.

“I will be.”


	18. December 19th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An early Christmas dinner with Charlie and Gilda, and the possibility of more emerging ships...
> 
> (Unbeta'd)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Abi,
> 
> Enjoy a Guetzli and a mug of tea- and prepare yourself for tomorrow which, hopefully, will include volumes of fluff.
> 
> -Shona

On December nineteenth, Cas stood nervously at the door to _The Chamber of Secrets_ , a bottle of wine in hand, and rung the buzzer for the apartment above. Charlie’s voice crackled the intercom. “Hello?” she sounded chirpy, and the quiet hum of voices behind her suggested that Cas wasn’t the first to arrive.

“Hello Charlie.” It was strange to speak into the intercom; it made Cas feel like he was talking to himself. Luckily, at his words, Charlie opened the door. 

They had closed the bookshop all day, leaving it silent. It was a different kind of silence to usual, when it was that of browsing shoppers and a quiet but constant volume of the café. Cas made his way through to the back of the café, through the kitchen and up the stairs in the back. Charlie and Gilda lived above their café in an apartment that edged their bookshop.

Gilda met him at the door, taking his coat and pointing him into the cosy lounge. Sam and Dean were there, chatting with Charlie and Jess. “Hi,” Cas said, taking a seat beside Dean and taking his hand.

“Hi Cas,” Charlie grinned, and Sam and Jess greeted him with a little wave, “We’re still waiting on Anna, Ash, Jo, and Kevin.”

“Anna is coming?” Cas asked. Gilda passed him a mug of tea, and Cas nodded his thanks, “Why is Anna coming?”

“Cause Jo asked-“

“Jo knows Anna?” Cas interrupted, taking a sip of tea in an attempt to process everything.

Charlie winked, “I think Jo likes Anna, you know.”

“Jo?” 

Charlie looked on the verge of laughing, or possibly just giving up. “Yes,” she said slowly, “Jo.”

Dean pulled Cas a little closer, careful not to spill his tea. “You’re adorable, you know that?” He slid a hand through Cas’ hair, ruffling it, “Don’t ever change.”

He let Dean pull him back, reeling a little. He knew Anna was somewhere on the spectrum- what was the saying about queer ducks flocking together? Or was that penguins?- but he’d never considered anything coming of it. Perhaps Jo, little though he knew her, could figure out Anna better than he.

A moment later, the doorbell went again. Charlie sprang up to get it. She opened the door to find Jo, Ash, and Anna. Anna, red hair pulled back out of her face, smiling over her scarf, was chatting animatedly with Jo. The happiness of Jo’s face made Cas think that maybe he should give this a chance.

“Hello little brother,” Anna ruffled his hair on her way to the kitchen. Her blue bag was only ever used for baked goods, so Cas reasoned she must have made some for them.

Jo poked both Winchesters and punched them lightly on the shoulder. She grinned at Sam when he teased her about Anna, and scowled at Dean when he refused her a space next to him on the couch. “Hey Cas,” she smiled at him, and then headed off into the kitchen after Anna.

“Jo and Anna,” Cas said numbly, setting his mug down on the coffee table, “Okay.”

Gilda, who had just come through from the kitchen, laughed. “Why don’t you come and sit at the table?” she suggested, nabbing Cas’ empty mug, “And we can start bringing out the food.”

Sam nudged Cas as they took their seats. “It’s okay,” he whispered, “Jo’s like a little sister to me- it’s weird for us too.”

Cas smiled gratefully. He found himself seated between Dean and Jess, a little cramped in the relatively small size of the apartment. The table, for one, was certainly not intended to seat ten people. Charlie and Gilda had brought up a table from the café, shoving it on the end of their own and decking it with a tablecloth in an attempt to extend the eating space. 

Ash, Gilda, Sam, and Charlie brought in the food. It was mostly Christmas stuff: sausages wrapped in bacon, brussel sprouts, a goose, and mashed potato. Sam brought out plates and cutlery, sharing it out with soft clinks, inviting them to help themselves.

Charlie put on some instrumental music, and Cas thought he recognized the Star Wars theme as it spilled through the room. She and Gilda sat at the head of the table, handing round the wine. Everyone but Kevin was old enough to drink, but they poured him a glass anyway.

“Here’s to friendships,” Charlie winked.

“And relationships,” Gilda nodded to Jess and Sam, and to Dean and Cas. Cas spotted Charlie winking at Jo, and smiled. 

“Merry Christmas,” the two said together. They started the long process of raising a glass to everyone, closing with a kiss. 

Cas copied them, clinking glasses with as many people as he could until the only person left was Dean. “Merry Christmas,” he whispered, and kissed the corner of Dean’s mouth gently, sliding an arm around Dean’s neck to pull them closer. Next to them, Jess and Sam were doing much the same, while Jo and Anna shared little smiles and kissed each other on the cheek.

“Dig in,” Charlie smiled, and they all did as she asked.


	19. December 20th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cute coffee mornings and cats and candy canes....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Abi,
> 
> You requested this one, so I hope I did it justice! I really fancy a candy cane now though...
> 
> -Shona
> 
> P.S. I like playing God a little too much and I blame you

There was a pile of papers to be marked sitting on Cas’ desk on December twentieth. He flicked through them while he drank his first mug of tea for the day, waiting for Dean to get up.

_They’d stumbled through the door of Charlie’s apartment after midnight the night before. They’d been laughing about something silly, arm in arm and unsure of exactly when the buzz of the alcohol had tipped them over into drunk._

_“Stay,” Cas had insisted when they’d reached his door. He had tugged at the sleeve of Dean’s leather jacket and hung on where his arm was hooked around Dean’s shoulder, “Please.”_

_And he must have looked persuasive enough, because Dean had followed him. He had stood by while Cas fumbled with his key, and had kissed him against the wall of the lift as it headed surely up to the sixth floor and Cas’ apartment. And he had kept kissing him all the way into Cas’ bedroom, barely letting Cas lock the door behind them, until they fell onto the bed._

_The fall had jolted them apart; ripped a snort of laughter from Cas. Dean had followed suit, and they’d kicked off their shoes and rolled under the covers, asleep in moments._

“Morning,” Dean stumbled through the door, hair ruffled, and yawned.

“There’s coffee in the kitchen if you want some,” Cas told him, underlining a good point in the essay he was reading, “It should still be hot.”

“Thanks,” Dean headed over, walking past Cas and dropping a kiss to the top of his head, “I’ll get you a mug.”

“Third cupboard from the oven-“  
\--

“What do you want to do today?” Cas asked, setting aside the papers. Dean grunted and took a swig of coffee. He’d put on Cas’ dressing down, and it hung just past his knees. Cas laughed, “Is it a bit early to be asking that?”

“Can we take a slow day?” Dean asked. He slid a hand across the table and grasped Cas’, pulling it up so he could kiss his palm.

“Sure,” Cas considered the pile of work, “I need to mark these though.”

“I’ll stick on a film and you can work?” Dean offered. Cas nodded gratefully and, picking up his papers and pen, followed Dean over to the couch. 

Hanael was waiting for them, curled up in the centre of the sofa. Cas scooped her up and set her on the ground, where she mewed indignantly while he took his seat. Dean rifled through the pile of DVDs on the unit until he found the last Harry Potter film, which they’d not managed to finish during their marathon.

Cas had barely sat down when Hanael climbed right back onto his lap, settling there with an aura of smugness. “Hanael,” Cas complained, lifting her up again, “I need to work.”

At his side, Dean snorted. “She’s quite the handful, isn’t she?” 

Hedwig’s theme started to play, accompanied by Hanael’s yowling. She continued to yowl, in fact, until Cas relented and let her back onto his lap. This, of course, made it quite difficult to grade the papers and, in the end, he gave up.

Doing his best not to dislodge Hanael, he shifted along the couch so he was sat properly beside Dean. “Have you really not seen this before?” he asked, running his fingers absentmindedly through the fur on Hanael’s head, “I thought everyone had seen Harry Potter.”

Dean joined Cas in stroking the now-purring Hanael. “Nah- Sammy saw it, but I was busy.”  
\--

Halfway through, Cas got up to replenish the supply of coffee. Hanael had long since decided that she’d rather be settled on Dean’s lap, and Cas had actually managed to mark a couple of essays while Dean cheered on Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

He pressed one warm mug into Dean’s hands, a candy cane hooked over the edge. “Dude,” Dean grinned, “You’re the best. I freaking love candy canes.”

“There’s more in the bowl,” Cas smiled, pointing to the coffee table.

“Wait,” Dean nabbed the bowl and settled it beside him, “And stay still.”

Cas did as he was asked, trying to watch Dean out of the corner of his eye. Harry ran across the screen in front of him, and there was a subtle pressure on the collar of his polo shirt. “Are you hanging candy canes on me?” 

Dean shushed him. “Hold still,” he insisted, and this time Cas could feel the candy cane as Dean hug it carefully from his ear.

“I bet you can’t get fifteen on me at once,” Cas said casually.

“Challenge accepted.”

A moment later Cas felt Dean hang one on his other ear, another two from his collar, and the sixth balanced ever so delicately on his nose. Cas breathed shallowly through his mouth, watching Dean hook one over his bottom lip, and settle the eighth on the top of his head.

Cas struggled not to laugh when Dean set one on each of his shoulders, bringing the total to ten candy canes. Then Dean sat back, considering Cas’ still figure. “Can I get one on you like a moustache?” he asked, raising it to Cas’ face. 

He didn’t care shake his head, so Cas just curled his lips as much as he could and Dean leaned in, ready to balance it. The look of concentration on his face broke Cas, and his started to laugh. All of the candy canes except those hooked onto his shirt fell onto the couch, startling Hanael, who meowed irritably and jumped off Dean’s lap.

Dean looked equally reproachful, still holding the last candy canes. “I would’ve got fifteen, you know,” he said sadly, setting them down, “If you hadn’t laughed.”

“Sorry,” Cas apologized, leaning in to kiss Dean. “I didn’t mean to,” he said between feather-light presses of his lips against Dean’s, “It was just funny.”

Dean tugged Cas back into his embrace, unhooking the candy canes from his collar. “Finish the movie with me,” he said, directing Cas’ attention back to the drama of the battle of Hogwarts, “And I’ll get the rest of those candy canes on you later-“

“No more than fifteen,” Cas reminded him.

Dean considered that. “More than fifteen,” he decided, and settled back, arm around Cas’ shoulders, to watch the last of the movie.


	20. December 21st

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas hasn't got Dean a present, and he's panicking a little.
> 
> (Unbeta'd, short but sweet)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Abi,
> 
> There should always be more Charlie & Cas being BFFs in the world, so here ya go. Also that cookery book is legit and I want it. 
> 
> Merr Crismas!  
> \- Shona
> 
> PS. This one's shorter than usual but I hope you like it nonetheless

On December twenty-first, Cas stood in front of the mall directory board. He had no clue as to what to get Dean for Christmas, and the date was rapidly approaching. It had been three weeks since he’d met Dean, yet he wasn’t sure he knew what to get him.

Cas pulled out his phone and dialed up Charlie. The phone rang, irritatingly beeping in his ear until she picked up.

“Yo.”

Cas moved away from the crowded noise of the directory. “Hey Charlie,” he said, still speaking louder than he would usually so as to be heard over the crowd, “It’s Cas.”

There was the distinct sound of Charlie munching on something crunchy, “Hey Cas- what do you need?”

“I’m at the mall, trying to get Dean something for Christmas.” He stepped out of the way of a family and their loaded bags, getting whacked by one in the process.

“You need help,” Charlie said triumphantly, “You need _my_ help.”

“Yes.”

“Okay stat-“ 

Cas waited for a moment, hearing only a weird static from Charlie’s end. “Charlie?” he asked uncertainly.

“Hang on Cas- I’ll be there in five.”  
\--

Charlie rushed up to him, grinning. “You’re so lovesick,” she told him with a punch to the shoulder, “It’s kinda cute.”

“I want to get him something different-“

“Adorable!” she crowed.

“Charlie.” Cas glared at her for a minute, waiting for her to calm down. She did, and began to commandeer him towards the directory again.

“There are a few things to know about Dean,” she said confidently, “And the one to keep in mind is that, macho as he tries to seem, he is a massive dork.”

Cas chuckled, thinking of their Harry Potter marathon, and of Dean’s unexpected Star Wars references. “I can believe that.”

“Secondly, he loves to cook.”

“We made gingerbread last week-“

“Like I said,” Charlie shrugged, “adorable.”

Scanning the directory, Cas attempted to marshal his thoughts into order. They’d made gingerbread men and read Neverwhere; marathoned Lord of the Rings and fought in strategic snowball battles. “I’m looking for a nerdy cookbook,” he said confidently and, having spotted a Think Geek on the directory, started to drag Charlie down the stairs.  
\--

Think Geek was chaos. Shoppers in a variety of festive jumpers decorated with Daleks or dragons pushed through the store, chattering excitedly. “This place is crazy!” Charlie shouted, pulling Cas out of the way of some of the more eager people.

Together, they started to inch their way along the edge of the room, occasionally pausing to inspect the shelves. Eventually, crushed between two sets of teenagers, Cas found what he was looking for- a book called “Cooking for Geeks”. He tugged it out of its place on the shelf and began to fight his way back over to Charlie, who had somehow been separated from him. 

They met up by the counter, where Cas proudly grinned as he slid the book over to the stressed-looking cashier, who rang it up and accepted his money hurriedly. “It was way at the back,” Cas told Charlie as they headed out of the mall, “and it was the last one.”

“What’s in it?” Charlie asked, rifling through the pages.

“Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings...“ he listed off as many as he could remember.

“Dean better lend it to me,” Charlie interrupted, reluctantly handing it back to Cas. He slipped it back into the blue “Think Geek” bag with a smile.

“I’d quite like to try one of the Harry Potter recipes, actually,“ Cas said, "I could give them to him along with the book-"

Charlie laughed. “You are such a nerd, Cas.”

“You’re a nerd, Charlie.“

“I _know_ that Cas. That’s the whole point.”


	21. December 22nd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas' family arrive, and Cas plans around incorporating Dean into his Christmas. 
> 
> (Unbeta'd, mostly more world-building)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Abi,
> 
> I think Sam should get a greyhound, don't you? It would suit his skinny-malinky long-leggedness...
> 
> Anyway- just wait for the sheer amount of Christmas I'm going to make them all eat on Christmas Day... *Gently Benevolent laughter*
> 
> -Shona

Cas' parents arrived on the late train on December twenty-second. With them came Gabriel and Inias, who chatted merrily with Cas when he came to pick them up. His parents hadn't come to visit him since he'd started his new job at the highschool, preferring to keep in touch by email and infrequent phone calls. 

His father, Chuck Novak, was a writer. His success had come at the hand of a series of books about two brothers hunting mythological creatures. Rather less impressively, his day job was that of a mailman. Cas' mother, Naomi Novak, on the other hand, remained the C.E.O. of her self-founded company even as she approached sixty. 

Youngest of the Novak siblings but for Cas, Gabriel was a trickster. He liked candy and tall, lanky men. Occasionally, he favoured tall and lanky women, but that was less frequent. Inias Himmel was his latest conquest, and the two of them shared an easy relationship, though Cas secretly thought Gabriel wasn't quite over his last relationship with the tall and lanky Kali as he said he was. 

"My apartment isn't big," he told them as he opened the building's front door, "But we can manage."

His father, greying hair and glasses belying his age, patted him on the shoulder. "I'm sure we will," He smiled, "But if it's too much, your mother and I can get a hotel room."

They crammed into the lift, bags at their feet. Cas reached out and jabbed the button for his floor; did his best not to elbow Inias in the gut. The lift quickly rose up to his floor and pinged when the doors opened. 

As a group, his family streamed out, leaving Cas to fumble for the keys. Having found them, he struggled past them to unlock the door. He paused, hand on the doorknob. "My friend- boyfriend actually- Dean is going to come by on Christmas Eve with his brother," Cas took a deep breath, "I presume there are no objections?"

Right before he'd finished university, Cas had come out to his parents. Michael, always more religious, had refused to speak with him for four years. Everyone else had been mostly accepted, though his mother had asked that he keep 'that side of him' out of her home. 

Gabriel interrupted him, smirking. "You're finally over your gay panic, Cas, I'm hardly going to tease you-"

Cas glared at him. "Gabriel, be serious."

"Okay maybe a _little_."

Cas rolled his eyes, but lead his family inside anyway. While they toed of their shoes and hung their coats up on hooks, he flicked the coffee machine on and tried to figure out where he was going to put them all. 

"Mother, Father, you're in the spare room," he decided, pointing them toward the open door, "and Gabriel and Inias- do you mind sharing the pullout sofa bed?"

"Not a bit, little bro." Gabriel swung himself over the arm of the couch and settled on it, "It'd be my pleasure."  
\--

Cas left them to unpack. In his room, after having made enough coffee to last the afternoon, he finished wrapping presents. He set Dean's on the smaller pile of gifts for friends, beside Charlie's new Star Wars merch and Gilda's fairy lights for their own, personal reading corner. 

That done, he joined Gabriel and Inias in the kitchen. Grabbing a cup of coffee, he leaned against the counter and prepared himself to catch up with everyone. "What've you been up to since I last saw you?" he asked Gabriel. 

Gabriel shook his head. "No no no," he said, "Tell me about the new Mr. Hot and Handsome in your life."

Cas blushed. "His name is Dean Winchester. He's got a little brother called Sam, and he works as a mechanic."

"Little brother?"

"Four years younger, but taller."

"That's always the way," Gabriel muttered sadly, "One day they just shoot up like daisies."

"Where did you meet?" Inias was the one to ask, pouring himself a second mug of coffee. 

"My friend Charlie and her wife own a bookshop stroke cafe called 'The Chamber of Secrets-"

"Of course you found the local nerds," Gabriel said under his breath. Indignant, Cas whacked him on the arm. 

"We met there on December first and have been getting quite close since then."

"I'll say," Inias grinned, nodding his head towards the sketch on the fridge. Anna had drawn the two of them last time she was over, a quick doodle of them squashed together on the couch. Cas had pinned it to the fridge and vowed to make her do it properly in the future. 

Chuck stuck his head out of the spare room. "Your mother and I are heading to bed," he explained, already in his worn dressing gown, "Good night." 

"Night," the three of them chorused. 

"I'll crash too," Cas said, "Help yourselves to movies and watch out for Hanael- once you get her on your lap she won't be moved."

Inias pulled Gabriel over to the sofa, waving Cas goodnight. "We'll keep the volume down," he promised. 

Cas headed into his room and closed the door. Hurriedly he pulled on his pyjamas and rushed into the bathroom to do his teeth. He'd thought he'd take his family to the bookshop the next morning but, with the looks his mother was giving him, perhaps that had better wait. 

Back in his room, Cas climbed into bed. Sleepily, he reached out, flicked off the bedside light, and closed his eyes.


	22. December 23rd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Novaks meet Dean and Cas has an idea-
> 
> (Unbeta'd, first of two chapters today since my internet prevented yesterday's chapter)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Abi,
> 
> Sorry the 23rd and the 24th will be published on the same day- you know what I said about playing the trumpet being alone time? Yeah, that. But still, I hope you enjoy this one, however impractical it would be in reality!
> 
> \- Shona  
> PS. Consider this: Dean with piercings and tattoos.

On December twenty-third, Cas nervously led the way to _The Chamber of Secrets_. Officially, their trip was to meet Charlie and Gilda, and to get an afternoon cup of coffee or eggnog. For Cas, it was a chance to introduce his family to Dean and set up plans for Christmas day.

“This is it,” he said. From outside, granted, it didn’t look like much more than an adjacent coffee shop and bookshop, although certainly cosy forms of them. Once they stepped inside, however, even Naomi, notoriously stone-faced, gasped a little. 

“This is nerd central?” Gabriel asked disbelievingly, “Hell, even I want to look around this place.”

Gilda spotted them and nudged Charlie, and the two of them walked over to say hello. “Hey Cas,” Gilda said softly, pulling him into a hug, “It’s been a few days- I’ve missed you.“

Cas laughed. Gilda was one of the few people who could say that and actually mean it. “This is my family,” he told her, “My father, Chuck; my mother, Naomi; my brother, Gabriel, and his boyfriend Inias.”

“Dude,” Charlie laughed, “I thought one in four people were gay-“

“I have four siblings,” he reminded her.

“Is Gabriel the only gay one or does it run in the family?” 

“I’m bisexual, actually,” Gabriel interrupted, an arm around Inias’ waist.

Beside him, Cas saw his mother’s face harden, and he hastened to a new topic. Gabriel’s coming out had gone slightly better than his, if only because his mother had decided Castiel was going to be a priest and not Gabriel. “Charlie,” he said, giving her his best _please change the topic_ look, “Can we get some eggnog and coffee? I’ve been ranting about your eggnog all morning-“

Thankfully, Charlie took the hint. She lead Cas’ family through to the café, chatting happily about her job and his father’s writing which, as it turned out, she had read. Gilda and Cas followed behind, breathing out a sigh of relief at a disaster averted.

“Dean’s waiting for you in the alcove,” Gilda told him when they split at the counter, “I think he wants to meet them.”  
\--

Having muttered an excuse to his family, Cas clambered up the shelves until he found their alcove. Dean, as promised, was sitting inside, reading the Lovecraft book Cas had left up there. “Hey Cas,” he smiled as Cas hoisted himself into the space, “It’s good to see you.”

Cas replied by kissing Dean soundly. Gently, he guided Dean’s hand to put down the Lovecraft, instead settling himself firmly just in front of Dean. He tugged Dean closer, fingers buried in the short hairs at the nape of his neck. 

For a moment, they breathed together, and then Dean pulled Cas that little bit closer. Dean kissed like he’d not seen him in ten years, stubbornly re-exploring the best ways to make Cas’ breath hitch and stutter.   
“It’s been two days,” Cas reminded him when he pulled away, a little light-headed, fingers still curled tightly in Dean’s hair. 

“Feels like longer,” Dean said, breathless.

“Shall I introduce you to my family, then?” Cas asked, “They’re probably wondering what’s taking me so long.”

Dean grimaced, but followed Cas down the stairs anyway. At the bottom, he reached out a hand to Cas, who took it. “Anything I need to watch out for?” he asked as they headed through the shelves to the café.

“My mother isn’t overly happy with my... choice of lifestyle,” he said carefully, smile tight, “But my brother Gabriel is bisexual, and she won’t make a scene.”

Dean squeezed his hand. “My dad is like that too.”

“Gabriel is a trickster, and Inias is his boyfriend. Oh, and don’t ask about my mother’s company or we’ll never leave.”

Laughing, Dean agreed. In the café, Cas spotted his family around one of the corner tables, framed by a sofa and several armchairs. Skirting round prams and handbags, he led Dean to them and settled down on the remaining armchair with him. Dean sat down beside him, still holding his hand. 

“This is Dean,” he said. Everyone already had eggnog and coffee courtesy of Charlie, and he could see her watching cautiously from behind the counter, ready to leap in and help.

“Heya Deano,” Gabriel grinned, “Nice to meet the guy that’s got Cas swooning-“

“Gabriel-“ Cas sighed.

“Nice to meet you too,” Dean replied, rubbing his thumb soothingly in circles over Cas’ hand, “So, Mr. Novak, Cas tells me you’re a writer?”  
\--

A good two hours later, Cas’ parents decided they wanted to go on a walk by themselves. Gabriel and Inias, meanwhile, elected to browse the bookshop for a while, leaving Dean and Cas to go home and have some alone time.

“Why did I agree to have them over?” Cas moaned as they headed out of the bookshop and into the cold. Dean shrugged, passing him his coat. While they’d been inside, it had started to snow again; a cold and sleet-like snow that just made Cas want to be inside with a roaring fire and a movie or a book.

Together, they hurried back to Cas’. “My mum and dad are arriving tonight,” Dean told him in the lift. 

An idea struck Cas. “Why don’t we ask Charlie and Gilda if we can have a big dinner party in the café? We could compile resources and make it less stressful-“

Dean looked doubtful, “Will there be enough turkey?”

Mentally calculating, Cas considered it. “If we all bring our own, there will be.” The space of the café could easily be shifted around to accommodate the four Novaks and Inias, as well as the four Winchesters, Charlie, Gilda, and possibly a couple of their friends. 

Excitedly, Cas pulled out his phone and typed out a text to Charlie.

**(Wed: 17:36)  
Hey Charlie- how about we all celebrate Christmas in your café?? Compile food and resources- Cas**

Not a moment later, his phone _pinged_ a reply.

**(Wed: 17:37)  
If you help with cleanup then sure**


	23. December 24th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas Eve- time for a movie and a walk.
> 
> (Unbeta'd)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Abi,
> 
> Remind me to show you our Christmas lights sometime- they look rather nice. 
> 
> Merry Christmas!  
> -Shona

Cas spent the morning of the twenty-fourth of December carefully measuring out the space of Charlie's cafe. They realised immediately that it would be a disorganized spread of tables once everything was assembled, but no one minded. Dean and Cas each brought along extra table clothes and mats for the dishes, but Charlie and Gilda managed to source almost everything else, helped by their status as a café. 

In the evening, the Novaks joined Charlie, Gilda, Sam, Dean, Benny, Kevin, Ash, and Jo for the bookshop's movie night. Using an old projector, Charlie beamed up _The Nightmare Before Christmas_ for a motley assortment of children and adults. They spread out on cushions, bean bags, blankets, and even the occasional air mattress. Hot chocolate was provided for all the children and eggnog or wine for the adults. 

Cas and Dean shared a large pillow, lying on their fronts, holding hands. Cas hadn't seen the film before, while Dean happily hummed along to most of the songs. "I like the dog," Cas decided half-way through, "he is nice."

Dean just chuckled and passed Cas a Santa-shaped chocolate. "Ghost dogs would be way less messy too," he added a moment later, muttering his opinion into Cas' ear. 

The film finished barely past eight, giving the parents plenty of time to get their children home before Santa Claus came, or at least before their bedtimes. Cas and Dean took the long route home, the Novaks and Sam trailing behind, to admire the advent windows. Twenty-four houses and apartments, including the school, the post office, and _The Chamber of Secrets_ , were allotted a day to start illuminating their decorations. By Christmas Eve, all the windows were lit up, providing a little walk-around advent calendar. It was beautiful. 

On their way, they passed a choir singing _Silent Night_ and paused to watch. "I'll meet you for lunch, then?" Dean asked in a hushed voice once the song was finished. 

Cas nodded. "There will be six Novaks, if you include Inias and Anna."

As the choir started _Hark, the Herald Angels Sing_ , Dean fidgeted. "Think we can swap presents in our alcove?" He suggested, playing with the ends of his scarf.

Cas grinned. "Perfect," he whispered, and kissed Dean briefly on the cheek, "that's lovely."

The garage Dean worked at had done an advent window, draping fairy-lights carefully round a few Car bonnets. They'd fashioned some angels out of spare or broken parts, Dean explained, and the reindeer were made by Bobby, who ran the place. 

"It's fascinating," Cas told him. He ran a fingertip gently down the line of an angel's wing. "Fascinating."

Dean just laughed and steered Cas gently away. "There's plenty of time to look at those later," he reassured Cas. 

"But it's Christmas tomorrow," Cas said, "and we'll all be together for it."

"Dude, do you know how cheesy that sounds?"

"Depends," and Cas gave Dean his most shit-eating grin, "on what kind of cheese. Emmenthal, perhaps?"

Dean bumped his shoulder, groaning. "That was awful, Cas-"

"You didn't think I could joke-"

"That wasn't a joke." Dean insisted, but he still took Cas' hand. They were at the end of Cas' road, at the turning to Dean's. "I guess I'll see you in the morning then, huh?"

Cas pulled Dean into the light of the closest street-lamp. The snow from yesterday had started up again, floating softly this time. Dean had a dusting in his hair and on his eyelashes. It looked soft and almost shimmery in the lamplight. "Until the morning, Dean," Cas said, and softly pressed his lips to Dean's. 

Dean pressed back, running a hand though Cas' hair to dust out the snowflakes gathering there. "Until tomorrow," he agreed, and let go. 

They stepped apart, Cas going to join his family while Dean headed down the Christmas light lit streets, his hands in his pockets. 

When Cas caught up with his family, they were admiring Cas' own decorations. He'd hung a light up reindeer on the tiny balcony's edge, and strung softly golden tinsel around the edge of his windows. "It looks great," his dad said, head craned back. 

Cas unlocked the door and ushered them inside. "Thanks," he smiled at his dad as he passed him, "Dean and I did that."

"You two are good together, I think," he continued thoughtfully, hanging behind the others. 

"I'd hope so," Cas said, and reached out to press the button for the lift.


	24. December 25th

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas day at last- Cas and Dean exchange gifts and it's time for everyone to get together for a festive lunch...
> 
> (Unbeta'd, my apologies for the extreme lateness of this chapter- everything got hectic after Christmas day and I have not had time. At last- here we are)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Abi,
> 
> Merry Christmas! (albeit a late one) I hope you've enjoyed every chapter of this fluff-fest, and that it's been a pleasing Secret Santa present- I'll admit I hadn't intended it to exceed 20k... Oops. Anyway- have a lovely day!
> 
> Yours in Christmassy merry-ness,  
> Shona

Leaving his father and Gabriel to watch over the turkey and various other bubbling pots, Cas headed down to _The Chamber of Secrets_ early in the morning of the twenty-fifth of December. Charlie and Gilda, awful matching Christmas jumpers on, greeted him at the door. 

Together, they began to push all the tables together. The smaller ones, like the coffee tables, were shifted to against the wall, and all the extra chairs were stacked beside them. There were only enough tables once Charlie and Gilda, with Cas’ help, had brought their own kitchen table downstairs.

On his way back to his apartment, Cas bumped into Dean going the other way and stopped him. “Merry Christmas,” he smiled.

“Merry Christmas,” Dean kissed him softly on the nose, “My mom and I are going to bring down our turkey and stuff in about two hours- that okay with you?”

“Course,” Cas told him, and they went their separate ways again.   
\--

Just before one, laden up with an impressive array of food, Cas lead his family into the bookshop. Charlie had put up a ‘closed’ sign, but lent him a key so he could get in. “Mom, Dad,” he said as he shouldered the door open, “Can you take the food into the kitchen?”

They nodded and started to cart their lot through. Gabriel, reindeer antlers slightly off balance on his head, carried in the plates. “Where shall I put these, bro?”

Cas scanned their setup. It was gradually filling with people. He spotted Sam and a blonde woman who had to be his mother, as well as Charlie bustling around. “On the table,” he decided, and went to slip the extra glasses he’d brought onto an end table. 

“Cas!” Sam hurried over, tugging awkwardly at his own Christmas jumper, “Dean said something about an alcove?” 

Cas thanked Sam and, present under his arm, raced through the bookshelves until he spotted the ladder. The wood was cold under his touch but he scaled it quickly, winter boots unwieldy on the thin steps. Dean was peering over the edge of the alcove when he dared look up, and they grinned at each other.

“Hey Cas,” Dean extended a hand and hauled Cas up into the alcove. There were fairylights hanging now that hadn’t been there before, and Dean, a soft green jumper on, sat beneath them.

“Merry Christmas, Dean,” Cas breathed, and gently dropped Dean’s present onto his lap. He’d wrapped it in the only wrapping paper he owned- blue with little penguins on it- and labeled it in Sharpie. 

“Merry Christmas, Cas,” Dean laughed, and handed over a hard, rectangular package. This was wrapped in plain green paper, but it had a red ribbon carefully wrapped around it and tied into an elegant bow.

Sliding a fingernail under the cellotape, Cas gently opened each fold while Dean did the same opposite him. He peeled the paper back to find two books- one a leather-bound notebook and the other a copy of Neil Gaiman’s _Stardust_. “Thank you,” he said earnestly, quite unable to stop himself beaming, “This is just perfect-“

Dean was already yanking him into a hug and whispering his thanks for the nerdy cookbook and the additional slab of chocolate Cas had slipped in. “This is awesome.”

They clung to each other for a moment, and then Cas pulled back. One hand framing Dean’s face, he kissed him softly. He tasted like gingerbread and chocolate powder and his lips were chapped; their teeth knocked together and they laughed. The soft lighting made it seem magical up there, suspended in time as much as their first meeting. 

“We should go down,” Dean said eventually, when all that was touching was their noses, “they’ll be wondering where we’ve got to.”

Cas’ hands tightened in Dean’s jumper but he let go. “We should.”

Still they stayed in place for a moment. Over the bookshelves they could hear laughter and the quiet _chink_ of cutlery and plates. “They’re getting on, at least,” Dean commented, sliding his hand out from Cas’ hair and down to take Cas’ hand, “Lets go and join them.”

Each with their presents under their arm, they descended the ladder again. At the bottom, Cas slipped but fell right into Dean. He knocked him off his balance, but Dean steadied them both and slid an arm round Cas, “C’mon, you klutz.”

Indignant, Cas punched him lightly on the shoulder. “I’m not a klutz-“

“Yeah, you are,” Dean interrupted, “But it’s okay cause you’re _my_ klutz.”

Together, they walked into the café and took their seats with their families. Charlie handed out crackers and champagne, and they all sat down to raise a glass to a merry, merry Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me through this! It's been fun, and I've enjoyed it ever so much...


End file.
